On The Winds of Stardust
by Shikamaru'sLove
Summary: Annabeth is a girl would lives with her Papa and her brother and she just wants to be a normal kid, but who is this mysterious stranger in her dreams...
1. Quiet Child

Hey guys! Been writing this for a while and hope you all like it!

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Wind whistled through the trees catching the attention of the child that played within it. He giggled and tossed the toy that he was playing with aside in favor of the colorful falling leaves. The dry grass crunched and crinkled beneath his small feet as he ran to catch the leaves, a few getting tangled in his chocolate locks.

"Don't run off too far, Bae." His mother called after him, stepping back inside, away from the cool wind with a small bundle in her arms. The bundle gave a quiet giggle and squirmed in her mother's arms. The woman gave her a smile back before laying her in her cradle, "Annabeth, you are the calmest baby."

Annabeth, in response, stuck her tongue out at her mother, her green eyes glittering with mischief. Milah shook her head at the babe and leaned down, nuzzling her nose against her face, making Anna giggle.

A shrill cry from outside caused Milah to jump to her feet, "Bae?!" She rushed out the door to find her son on the ground, holding his arm against his chest and sobbing. The toddler looked up at his mother with tear filled brown eyes, "Momma, it h-hurts." He hiccuped, reaching out to her.

Milah gently lifted the boy and carried him inside, "What happened sweetheart?" She set him on his bed and coaxed him into showing her his arm, "I tripped and fell." He answered, his breath still hiccupping.

She examined it, noting the bruising and scrapes along it; it didn't seem broken, just a bit scratched up. Baelfire looked up at his mother with scared brown eyes, "Am I gonna be ok?" Milah smiled and got out some bandages, "I think you'll live, but please be more careful." She said, wrapping his arm and kissing his forehead.

A few hours later, Milah stoked the fire in the hearth with a heavy sigh. She looked over at her two children: Bae snuggled up against the small bundle that she had wrapped Annabeth in earlier; both snoring and deep in slumber.

Rumple had gotten home earlier and was outside, doing something, what she didn't know and didn't care. She was done trying with someone as pathetic as him; he had come home a coward from the war a few months ago, just after Annabeth was born. She could barely go out to the market without pitying looks from the villagers.

As if on cue, he stumbled in through the door, leaning on his cane heavily. She turned and her green eyes clashed with his brown ones; he gave her a hesitant smile that she returned if only barely, "How are they?" he asked, looking over at the pile of children on the small bed in the corner. Her smile turned genuine then as she turned her gaze to her children, "Sleeping, at last." She stroked Bae's hair, "Calm and quiet."

A small choked cry broke the calm silence and she sighed, gathering Annabeth in her arms before she could wake the boy. The infant whined and cried as Milah bounced her gently, shushing and cooing at her, "What is it, dear? You're ok, Anna dear."

Rumple watched as his wife coddled the babe, rocking her in her arms and gently cooing and shushing her. It took him back to a time where she was holding a young Bae in her arms, when he was a better man; not the village coward. How he wished he could go back in time and change the outcome of his mistake; ignore the witch and stay at his post.

A delicate coo broke him from his revere and he looked towards his daughter, who was looking at him over Milah's shoulder with big green eyes. She gave him a toothless smile and stuck her tongue out at her father, reaching for him with her small hands.

Milah turned and regarded him with narrowed eyes, "Can I hold her, please?" He asked, his dark eyes begging her. For a moment she tightened her grip on the baby, pressing her closer to her bosom, before softening her gaze and motioning for him to sit. He did and she passed him the bundle, "Mind her head," she warned, her voice soft.

He held her head in the crook of his arm and traced her face with a finger, watching in fascination as the babe took his finger in her fist, her grip strong. Annabeth had her mother's face, big green eyes set over high cheek bones all framed by dark brown curls; she was beautiful. He didn't ever want to lose her, and judging by her grip on his finger, she didn't want to lose him either.

OoOoO

Five years later

A small girl sat at the window, watching the sun set with glassy eyes. She rested her head against her folded arms on the sill as she waited for her father to return from work; or her mother to return from wherever she went the night before. A hand on her shoulder, made her raise her head, a few tears falling as she did.

The girl looked up at her brother, green eyes full of tears, "Bae, where's Momma?" The boy looks down at the five-year-old with his own tear-filled eyes, "I dunno, Anna, Papa went to go find her." He fiddled with the end of his tunic, his brows furrowed with worry.

Taking one last glance out the window, he pulled her away and towards the hearth, "I'm sure they'll be home soon." He sat her down at the table and put the bowl of stew in front of her and a spoon in her hand.

Annabeth looked up at him with those teary green eyes, "What if they aren't?" He ruffled her hair and sat down next to her, "They will, I promise."

A few hours later, Balefire sat in his sisters' place at the window, watching as she slept in their bed, her small face calm with sleep; the tear tracks glinted in the firelight. She had cried herself to sleep, thinking they had been abandoned by their mother. He returned to his watch, the firelight dancing in his brown eyes, "Papa, where are you?" he murmured to the wind.

He must have fallen asleep, because he awoke to his father gently shaking him awake, his face grim, "Come on, Bae, let's get you to bed, hm?" He ushered the boy away from the sill and into bed, ruffling his hair. The boy snuggled sleepily into covers, pulling his sister against him, holding her tight. Rumple watched as his son held his daughter close to him, allowing her to nuzzle against him, releasing a shuddering breath as she awoke.

Her eyes opened blearily, gazing up at her father, "Papa, you're back!" She yawned, giving him a sweet smile. Bae let her go so she could sit up and look around, her smile slowly fading, "Where's Momma?" Rumple sat at the edge of the bed and drew his daughter into his arms, "She's gone, Anna." He watched as her face crumpled and tears sprang to her eyes, "What do you mean?" Bae asked, his own face contorted in confusion, eyes full of fear.

Their father swallowed before speaking, "She was murdered…by a pirate." Anna let out a cry and buried her face in her father's chest, sobbing. Bae sat in shock but allowed his father to pull him into a hug as tears dribbled down his face, resting his cheek on the boys' head.

Rumple held his children close as they mourned the loss of their mother, his own tears threatening to fall; he would never leave them as she had.

Never.

OoOoO

A few months later, Anna woke up with a start from a nightmare, her breath came in short spurts and her heart was constricted, like there were icy fingers grasping at it, ready to crush it. She looked around, trying to calm her breath. Her brother was curled up asleep in the corner of their bed and her father was asleep in his own. Once she could breathe again, she crept out of bed, careful not to wake Bae and snuck out the back window.

She ran into the forest, stopping when she reached the clearing with her favorite willow tree. She panted but got right to climbing onto the low branch and leaned against the trunk, letting the bark dig into her cheek. Anna looked up at the waning moon and cried, she sobbed, her breath clawing at her lungs and her chest was tight and hurt.

Anna missed her mother terribly, it had been months since her father told her what happened, but she felt as if she was the only one who was still mourning the loss, "Momma, I miss you so much." She sobbed to the moon, looking to the stars for guidance and comfort.

A twig snapping behind her startled her and she whipped around, losing her balance on the branch and she fell backward. She screamed and waited for the impact that didn't come, someone caught her, "Forgive me, I didn't mean to scare you." A smooth voice said, "Are you alright?"

Anna looked up to see emerald eyes that matched her own, "I'm fine, thank you for catching me." She stammered. The boy had a round face with deep green eyes that were set over high cheek bones and a sharp nose crowned by blond curls. He gave her a sweet smile and sat her on her feet, "I'm glad you're alright, I just heard crying and came to see what was wrong."

The little girl frowned, "My momma died." Her eyes welled up again and the boy shushed her and they sat down, "Let's get your mind off it, huh?" He smiled, sharp emerald eyes met her glassy ones and she nodded, returning his smile.

He told her stories, pointed out constellations to get her mind off of her mother and make her stop crying. She laughed and asked questions, until the sun was peeking over the treetops. Anna gasped and stood quick with a giggle, "Thank you for making me feel better but, I should get home before my papa wakes up." He smiled and caught her arm before she could run off, "I don't even know your name."

She grinned, "I'm Annabeth. But you can call me Anna."

"Peter. Peter Pan." He bowed to her, causing her to giggle before she heard Bae calling for her, "I hope to see you soon, Peter." She said before hurrying back towards the cottage.

The boy watched her go with a smirk, "Oh, I'll be seeing you very soon, Anna."

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I have a good chunk written already so lemme know if you guys want more!

Until next time lovelies,

~Shikamaru'sLove


	2. The Dark One

Chapter two! Enjoy guys!

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As the years went by, Rumple watched his children grow, Bae helped him with the wool and Anna kept the house in order and cooked the meals. They were both getting taller and Rumple found himself missing his little boy and girl. They were both growing to be fine teenagers, Bae's shoulders were broader, and he was becoming a better man than he had ever been and Anna's hair grew long past her waist in long dark curls much like Milah's used to.

He noticed every day that Anna looked more and more like her mother; like a cruel reminder of his failure. She grew more beautiful each day, her green eyes sparkling with mischief. Though he could tell losing her mother, even at such a young age, affected her much more that it affected her brother; she wasn't as happy and carefree as she once was.

She would often get into fights as she was never one to suffer fools lightly. Her tenacity and wariness around anyone as she grew made Rumple nervous, but she was relaxed enough around Bae and himself when she was at home, so he wasn't all that worried about her.

A 14-year-old Anna sat at the table, waiting for her father and brother return home before their supper got cold when she heard the sound of horses in the front yard. She ran outside to be greeted with a brigade of soldiers circling her with their horses, "What do you want?" She shouted boldly, keeping her chin up though she was shaking.

One man, who she could only assume was their leader by the grand red covering on his armor and horse, trotted up to her, "Where's your brother, girl?" He snapped, ready to get a move on. He had brown hair and a scar running across his lip from his ear to his chin with sharp blue eyes; he looked menacing, but the girl wasn't scared.

Anna feigned innocence, "What are you talking about? I have no brother, it's just my papa and I." She lied smoothly. The man growled and his horse reared back, trying to scare her; it didn't work but she did step back, "I have no interest in your lies, wench! I know there is a boy here and he is of age to join the war!" Anna's eyes widened, 'no she couldn't lose Bae too.' The man smirked, "And if we can't have him, we'll take you instead!"

A hand grabbed the back of her tunic and she was lifted onto a horse. She screamed and tried to fight but she was not nearly as strong as the soldiers. Her hands were bound, and she was stuck on a horse with the callous soldier, tears springing to her eyes; she was terrified.

"What is going on here?!" a familiar voice called, and Anna cried out in relief, "Papa!" Her father stood a few yards from the tree line in front of the cottage, unfortunately, so was Baelfire. The leader suddenly grinned and gripped her face roughly, "I told you there was a boy here." He sang, his breath fanning over her face, stinking of rum and bad eggs. She recoiled and spat in his face. He growled and backhanded her, sending her flying from his horse.

"Anna!" Baelfire shouted and ran to her, only to get cut off by the soldiers' horse, "Not so fast boy, you've been skipping out on the draft." His face broke into a grin, revealing crooked and dirty teeth, "And we're gonna take your sister as payment, until you join." He reached down to grab the girl by her hair but she bit his hand and slapped his horse, sending it off into a gallop into the woods before the captain could get control of it.

"You will most certainly not be taking me anywhere!" She shouted at them, her eyes flashing, "I am a lady!" Bae ran over to her, undoing her bindings, "You should not have done that, Anna." He told her in a hushed tone and she groaned, "I was defending myself, Bae." The solider was talking to their father, but they couldn't hear. Anna knew her father was of the timid sort, that's why she did all the shopping and bargaining; she was not timid like her father, he told her she got that from her mother.

Rumple looked down in defeat and nodded, causing the man to grin and call his men away. The army returned from the forest as quick as they arrived. He hurried over to his children, limping as fast as his cane would allow.

He cupped Annabeth's cheek gently, "Are you alright, Anna?" She shrugged off his hand, "I'm fine, Papa. What happened with the captain? What's going to happen to Bae?" She asked, clinging to her brother as if he would disappear completely.

He sighed, "There's nothing I can do, I'm afraid. Bae has to leave tomorrow for the army." Anna's face crumpled, "No! I can't believe you won't do anything, you coward! He's your son!" She shouted and ran into the house, throwing herself into her bed and underneath the covers to hide from the world.

Outside, Baelfire looked at his father with mixed emotions in his brown eyes, "I'm sure she didn't mean any of that, Papa. She's just upset." He looked towards the hut, "I'm going to go check on her." The boy made his way to the cottage and Rumple watched him go, his hand tight around his walking stick; he was going to take the stranger up on his deal.

Bae sat on the edge of his sister's bed, not sure how to comfort her. She peeked her head out of the blankets and threw herself at him, sobbing into his chest, "Don't go, Bae! I can't lose you too!" her muffled cries surprised him, they didn't talk about their mother's death often.

But he held her close and shushed her, telling her it would be alright. She slumped against him and he lay down with her, much like he did when they were younger; her head on his chest and him drawing circles on her back to calm her.

Night had fallen, and Anna had long fallen asleep, shuddering breaths every now and then. Bae hadn't moved from his spot on her bed; he was looking towards the door, waiting for his father, who had never returned from outside. He sincerely hoped he hadn't taken that stranger up on his offer.

Bae's eyelids grew heavy and he fell into a deep sleep, snuggling with his sister for the last time; he didn't know when he'd see her next, with him going off to the army. He could only wish that this whole thing was just a bad dream and when he woke up, everything would be as it should be.

OoOoO

Anna was in her willow tree, looking up at the moon; except she wasn't. She knew this of course because she didn't recognize the forest around her. She looked around, noting the vines and thick, heavy air that seemed to weigh her down; it wasn't like the cool, light night air she was used to.

Narrowing her watery eyes, she slipped down the tree and looked around, "Annabeth, it's good to see you again." Eyes wide and grin even wider, the girl turned to see a familiar blonde boy leaning against the tree opposite her, "Peter!" She shouted, throwing herself at him. He caught her in his arms and held her close as she nuzzled into his chest, "I missed you, Peter!"

He chuckled, his hand coming up to play with her curls, "I missed you too, Anna." She pulled away with a smile, looking around again, "Where are we? How am I here? Why am I here?" He laughed at her rambling, "Slow down, Anna." She took a breath, still grinning like a fool, waiting for answers to her questions. He held out his hand, "I'll show you." She grabbed his arm and he snapped his fingers, transporting them in a cloud of green smoke to a cliff side overseeing a beautiful bay with gorgeous waterfalls.

Annabeth giggled, amazed, "Peter, it's amazing! What is this place?" He returned her smile, waving an arm across the scene, "Welcome to Neverland!" She looked up at him, confusion coloring her eyes, "How did I get here? I thought you said this place was a myth."

He shrugged, "I live here, sometimes children come here in their dreams; but only certain children." She tilted her head, "What kind of children come here?" Instead of answering, Peter sat on a bolder and posed a question of his own, "What happened before you fell asleep?"

Her brows furrowed, "Well, Bae was comforting me." The boy frowned, "Why? What happened?" Anna swallowed, "He's going away to fight in the ogre wars in the morning," Tears welled up again, "I don't want to lose him like I lost my mother." Peter's frown deepened, "I'm sorry, dear." He stood and took her in his arms again.

"Only children who feel abandoned and alone can come here." Anna broke away from him, "I don't feel abandoned or alone! I'll still have my papa." Peter grabbed her by the shoulders, "A man who would let his only son be taken from him, a coward. You're here for a reason, Anna. Do you really think he'll be there for you?"

She frowned, her brows furrowing, "I- my papa loves me! He said he would never leave me!" Anna tore herself away from him, "I would like to go home now, please."

Peter gave her a hurt look, "Don't you want to see what else is here? I could show you around." She shared his look, looking at him with sad eyes, "I'm sorry, Peter, but I want to go home." The boy nodded and took her by the shoulders again, "If that's what you truly desire, I will send you back."

He leaned in and brushed a kiss on her forehead, "I hope to see you soon, Annabeth."

OoOoO

Her eyes snapped open and she looked around. The jungle was gone, and she was in her bed again; Bae was still there, curled up at the edge of the bed. It was still dark outside the window, but the dawn was beginning to break, and she looked over at her brother. She smoothed back the brown hair matted with sweat from his forehead, "I don't want to lose you, Bae."

She sat like that until she heard the horses in the distance, then she shook her brother awake, "Wake up, Bae. We have to go! Bae!" He woke with a start and caught her shoulders, "Anna, what's going on?" She shook her head and pulled at his arm, "Bae, we have to go! The army is here!" His brown eyes went wide and suddenly the door burst open and soldiers poured in. They grabbed both siblings and pulled them apart.

"No! Bae!" Anna struggled against the soldier that held her, "Leave him alone!" In her thrashing, she knocked her head back into the man's face, making him cry out. As soon as she was loose, Anna made for the soldiers who held her brother, "No! I won't let you take him!" She pulled on their arms in a weak attempt to loosen their grip on her brother.

However, a strong arm grabbed her by the ponytail, yanking her back. She looked back and caught the eye of the man she had knocked in the face. She took pleasure in his broken nose but then grimaced as he pulled at her hair again.

Once they were properly handcuffed, the two were escorted outside and as they had seen how Anna had fought, the captain said that her spunk could benefit the army. They were led to a circle of horses, their heads up to give the illusion that they weren't scared; well, Anna wasn't scared, she was angry.

One of the men standing with the horses went down with a cry, startling the captain and the siblings. The man fell, revealing a dark character, dressed in a long robe. The captain fell to a knee, "Dark One." Anna and Bae exchanged looks of terror; it seemed that Anna's fire had burned out and was replaced with icy fear.

The captain rose, "No, who are you?" the Dark One let out a giggle, "What, don't you recognize me?" he lowered his hood revealing a sparkling being with bulbous golden eyes and an ugly grin, "Rumplestiltskin." The captain whispered in awe. The siblings looked at each other again; surely this _thing_ couldn't be their papa.

Anna tried to take a step forward but was pulled back by Baelfire, "Papa?"

The being looked at her with a soft fondness in his golden eyes, "Anna, Bae." He said with a familiar warmth and Anna couldn't believe it; it _was_ their papa! Then he looked around at all of the soldiers and, faster than they could react, he attacked, killing them where they stood. The soldiers holding the siblings left them, springing into action. Bae held his sister close, hiding her face from the gory scene.

But Anna saw it all, her papa wasn't the coward he once was; he was the Dark One now.

Once it was all over, Bae released his sister, but she kept her arms around him, "Papa, what happened to you?" Rumple looked over at the two, "You're safe now, don't you feel safe?" Anna shook her head, "I'm frightened." She pressed closer to her brother, "I'm not." Came the raspy reply, "I've protected what belongs to me. I'm not scared of anything!" the Dark One grinned maliciously.

Bae backed up, keeping Anna close to him, "Bae, I'm scared." She whispered, teary eyed and looking at their father, "I'm scared."

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Again, lemme know what you guys think and if you want more! There's plenty left to upload!

Until next time Lovelies,

~Shikamaru'sLove


	3. The Sound of Music

Hello Everyone! Thanks so much! I'm glad this has been getting a lot of love!  
I do want to answer a question that I got from Demona Evernight: in this particular fic, I don't think I'm going to keep Pan as Rumple's father; instead they're going to be childhood friends. But I'm still not sure if I want Anna to end up with Pan romantically...it's complicated but I have an idea of a plan for her so bear with me! :)

Enjoy!

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A few months later, neither sibling was allowed out of the small house, and neither were happy about it.

Anna was going stir crazy and she wanted to go out and have friends and run through the forest like any other child her age; Bae agreed with her 100%. He was able to curb this by drawing, but his sister was a very active child; she needed the space to move around.

They had gotten used to their father's appearance and he was careful with what they saw; no more massacres. He even went and stopped the ogre wars and set the child soldiers free in hopes to win over his children. It seemed that Anna was warming up to him, but Bae was standing with his heels in the dirt, very wary of this new papa.

One day, their papa came home with gifts, this was nothing new; he was trying to make them happy. He brought his son a knife, "To sharpen his coals with," as he put it when his daughter asked. For Anna, he brought a dazzling gown, all green silk and gold inlaid leaves; "fit for a princess" he had said. While she had loved the gift, she saw no reason to have it if she couldn't leave and show it off or go to a party.

Baelfire had the opposite problem; he didn't like the gifts his father gave him if they were taken from someone else, "Well what do you want?" Rumple asked defeated, staring at his children.

Anna spoke up first, her voice small, "I want to go outside, Papa." Bae nodded, standing beside his sister, "We don't want to be cooped up in this hovel anymore." Their father's face lifted, "I could build a castle for you! Its shadow would blanket the countryside."

The girl piqued up at this: they would have a courtyard and _lots_ of room for her to run around and dance. But a glance up at her brother confirmed that this wasn't what they were after in their attempt at bartering, so she looked away.

Bae shook his head, "No, Papa. We want to go outside and make friends. I don't understand why you can't trust us to do that?" He asked, distraught.

Anna looked surprised at her brother, "I'm sure that he does trust us, Bae. He's just scared that we'll get hurt, right Papa?" She smiled up at him.

Rumple looked down at his daughter with fondness in his eyes, "Of course, dear, I do trust you, both of you. It's my enemies that I don't trust. They could hurt you."

Bae scoffed, "I think you're afraid that if you let us go outside, we won't want to come back." Their father's face fell, "No, I just don't know what I would do if I lost you, either of you."

Anna wanted to comfort her father but was torn by what her brother said; what if her papa was keeping them hidden so they wouldn't run away. Did she want to run away? No, she thought, she didn't; she just wanted to go out and play with friends.

The rest of the night was quiet after that; their father had left to tend to a deal and Bae had gone to bed early. This left Anna, who was currently hanging upside down from the loft of the cottage, to entertain herself.

She had gotten quite skilled at climbing things, especially along the edge of the loft and the ceiling of the cottage. Bae would usually be there to spot her to make sure she didn't fall and break something; it was what they used to do when their father was away. But lately, Bae had been quiet and depressed about something and didn't want to play with her anymore.

She was just about to sit back up and check on her brother, who was asleep on the floor above, when she heard a strangely familiar tune that nearly made her fall. Anna swung herself up onto the ledge and listened, there it was again.

She looked over to see that Bae was gone and she tilted her head to the side; she would've heard him get up and leave. Then she saw the open window and her heart sunk, the music grew louder.

Anna was curious and followed the flute music out the window and through the woods. She didn't stop until she came upon a clearing with a large bonfire and several boys dancing around it, hollering and shouting. They were wearing animal furs and masks, "Bae? Bae!" She stopped many boys looking for her brother but none of them were him.

She felt the pull and swell of the music wash over her. Her feet began to move, jumping in circles and sending her into a flurry of movements. A giggle bubbled from her lips and she genuinely felt joy and happiness; it felt like a huge weight had been lifted from her chest.

Anna was so taken with dancing, that she didn't notice the green eyes of the piper watching her from his corner of the clearing. Or not until she danced into him.

He caught her in his arms, the pan flute forgotten in his pocket, "We have to stop meeting like this, Annabeth." He grinned, meeting her confused emerald eyes.

Her confusion gave way to surprise as a smile of her own greeted him and she threw her arms around him, "Peter!" She nuzzled her face into his neck, surprising the boy, "I missed you so much." Pulling away, she seemed to notice where they were for the first time, "How are you here? I thought you lived in Neverland."

Peter withdrew himself from her embrace and sat on the boulder behind them, "I do, but it's so lonely there. The children who come in their dreams can't stay, but you can." He gestured to the boys dancing around the fire, "They all can, only those who can hear my magic flute, those who are unloved and lost can hear it; they are the only ones who can come back to Neverland with me."

Anna looked around at the boys, she found Bae easily; he was the only one she knew that could dance that stiffly, even under a spell. She turned back to Peter, who held his hand out to her, "Anna, do you want to go back to Neverland with me?" he asked. She felt her heart drop into her stomach, "I promise that you won't feel lonely anymore, you'll always have room to run around or dance and nothing will hurt you." He explained, trying to soothe her anxiety.

She couldn't leave her papa; she knew it would destroy him. 'But why did he need her?' a sudden angry voice thought, 'She was the child, she was supposed to need him!' Anna found herself agreeing with the voice and started to reach a hand out to him when she felt something dark enter the clearing.

Peter stiffened, "Anna, go on and dance. We'll talk soon." He said with a smile, that looked a little forced; she thought he looked nervous. The flute began to play again and her feet moved in a dance around the fire with the boys, some of them grabbing her hand and spinning her around them. Her giggles and laughter mingled with the hollering and cheers of the boys like a well-orchestrated symphony.

She was a carefree girl again, her brother by her side; the two of them laughing and dancing. Everything was perfect, until a rough hand on her shoulder ripped her from her illusions. Her papa removed the flower mask she wore, though she didn't remember putting one on, and turned to Bae and did the same with his mask. He gave them both a look of relief but then seemed to hesitate, "Papa? What are you doing here?" Anna asked, slightly afraid of what her father would do.

Their papa just sighed, "I'm here to prove I care about you both." He said before waving a hand, causing them to disappear in a cloud of red smoke.

When they appeared back in the cottage, Anna was beyond furious and Bae wasn't far behind. Rumple seemed to think they were upset because of their experience out, "It's alright now, you're safe."

Anna spun on her heel to face her father, "When were either of us in danger, Papa?!" Her voice dripped with anger. Rumple seemed taken aback by her sudden outburst, "The piper-" She interrupted, "The piper, Peter Pan is my friend! He wasn't going to hurt me." Her shout rang in their ears; even Bae was surprised by it, though he had anger of his own.

Rumple recovered from his disbelief of his daughter's outrage and quickly regained ground, "I knew Pan when I was a boy, we were very close until he became immortal when he betrayed me and ran off to _Neverland_ ," he hissed the word. Bae stepped forward, "What happened?"

His father shook his head, "It doesn't matter, Pan is more dark and repulsive than anything either of you should be exposed to." Anna took a step back, tears flooding her eyes, "No, Papa. I think you're worse than you claim him to be! You took me away from the only fun I've had since Mama died!"

She tried to run past him, but he caught her arm, "Anna, you don't understand, I didn't have a choice but to take you both home."

Before she could respond, Bae removed her from her father's grasp, "I knew about the deal you had with Pan, Papa." Anna looked between the two, confused, "What? What deal?"

Rumple shook his head, knowing this may cost him his only daughter, "Bae, don't." But young Baelfire was already going on, "All you had to do was ask us if we wanted to go home with you! But you didn't, you didn't trust us enough to ask!"

Anna took a step back from both of them, not knowing who to believe, "I would've stayed if you had asked, Papa. But-I-" Her anger was replaced with betrayal and confusion; she didn't know what was happening, "I have to go." She ran out the door before either one could stop her and she ran and kept running until she couldn't breathe.

Bae watched her go before turning to glare at his father, "I hope you're happy." He muttered before running after his sister.

Rumple all but fell into the chair by his spinning wheel, shame and anger overcoming him; he messed up. He was so focused on keeping his children from harm, he didn't see how much of a monster he had become.

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Hope you guys liked it! Leave me some love and I'll try to update soon!

Until Next Time Lovelies,

~Shikamaru'sLove


	4. Everything Changes

**It's Thursday Night! Time for more Winds of Stardust!**

 **This is a long one guys and there's a lot happening. I couldn't find a good spot to cut it into two smaller chapters, so I thought I'd just give you guys one big chapter and then post in two weeks. Maybe it'll be sooner than that if I can get everything ready.**

 **Enjoy!**

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Anna sat braiding her long dark mane, looking out the window at the other children of the village as they danced and played. She huffed and looked away, pulling harder at her hair.

"Watching them isn't going to make you feel better." Bae said, not looking up from his coals. She scowled at him from her usual spot in the window, "I know but-" she shook herself and sprung to her feet, "Why can't we go out, Bae?" she whined.

He looked up then, "You know why, Anna." The girl threw herself on the table dramatically, "But Papa said he would be gone for a few days. I doubt he'll know." She looked up at him with hopeful green eyes.

Bae hated that look; she was very convincing, "I don't know, Anna, we haven't been allowed out since-" he cut himself off at the pained look in her eyes. They didn't speak of that night; the year had gone by agonizingly slow for her. It was the last time she saw Peter Pan and she didn't like when it was brought up.

Sighing, Bae shut his sketch book, "Alright, but only for a few hours." He relented.

Anna couldn't believe her ears, "Really Bae? You mean it?!" she jumped up, her face lit up like a lantern. Her brother nodded, reaching for his cloak, watching in amusement as she danced about looking for her boots.

He couldn't remember seeing her this excited- not since that night. He found himself grinning with her as they ran out of the hovel and towards town.

Baelfire had found a group of boys his age playing ball in the fields, leaving Anna to her own devices and wander the town square. She stopped when she came upon a girl a little older than her playing the fiddle for spare coins. Her short dirty blonde hair framed her heart shaped face and complimented her tanned skin. She looked friendly with kind looking crystal blue eyes.

The way she played had Anna's legs and hips moving, though not as hypnotic as Pan's flute, but enough to make her want to dance. The beat and rhythm drew her in and she spun and moved her hips to the melody.

The girl stopped and looked at her oddly, "What are you doing?" She asked, confusion coloring her tone. Anna stopped when the music did and tilted her head, "Dancing, you're a very talented musician." That made the girl blush, "Thank you. I'm glad you enjoyed it, you dance really well."

Now Anna was blushing, "I'm Annabeth, but you can call me Anna." She tossed a silver coin into the girls' case before extending a hand towards her, "What's your name?" she asked. The girl smiled, "Sarah. Good to meet you, Anna." She took her hand, shaking it. The girls exchanged grins.

Sarah's eyes took on a certain shine as she pulled her hand away, "So, wanna see if you can keep up with my tempo?" She challenged. Anna's smile grew cocky, "You wish you could keep up with my rhythm." She stuck out her tongue and laid down her bag and cloak.

Each girl sized the other up, readying themselves. Anna stretched a bit while Sarah quietly tuned, each eyeing the other wearily. Once ready, they exchanged a nod and the blonde started a fiery melody.

Anna wasn't caught off guard and hurried into delicate turns and leaps across the dirty street around her. She tried to keep herself around Sarah so as not to lose the beat of the music.

Unknown to the girls, a crowd had surrounded the two and began to clap to the beat adding intensity to the scene.

Reaching blindly, Anna grabbed the hands of a little boy, pulling him into turns as his mother laughed joyfully. The girls made eye contact, their grins genuine and all traces of competition gone.

With one final flurry of movements and notes, the two finished their set, panting heavily and smiling to the crowd, bowing at the applause. Giving the little boy a big hug and a thank you, Anna returned him to his mother who hugged her in return.

Sarah put her violin down and threw her arms around Anna, "That was amazing!" Anna grinned, "I know, your melody was beautiful!" The blonde blushed at the comment, "I think your rhythm helped a lot more than my music did." It was the brunettes' turn to blush, but she opened her mouth to gush more about their performance when suddenly,

"Annabeth!"

The cold voice of her papa made her whirl around to see him pushing his way through the quickly dissipating crowd. Anna turned back to Sarah, who had turned as white as a sheet, "I can explain." But the girl was already packing her things and hurrying out of the courtyard, not giving Anna a backwards glance.

Tears welled up in Anna's eyes and a fire burned in her chest, a strange combination of sadness and anger brewed in her as her father snapped his fingers, transporting them home in a cloud of crimson smoke.

Bae was already there, his arms crossed across his chest as he sat angrily at the table. Anna settled next to him, wiping her eyes as their papa sat across from them.

There was a long pause where no one talked, no one breathed. The silence rang in her ears, driving her mad, until Anna had had enough.

She shoved out of her seat, slamming her hands on the tabletop, startling both her brother and father, "This is getting ridiculous, papa! Why won't you let us out of this house? What are you so afraid of? You say you want us to be happy, but when we've finally found something that makes us happy, you take it away!" Her voice was sharp and filled with fury.

Rumple flinched at her words and opened his mouth to refute, but Anna wasn't finished.

"I don't understand how you can make us sit here while you gallivant around, scaring entire villages! Do you not trust us to come home?" Anna's words echoed in the house, her breaths coming in pants and she fell into her chair. She was shaking.

Bae shifted in his seat, uncomfortably, "I have to agree with her papa, you're so afraid you'll lose us like you lost mama, that you're smothering us. We just want friends our age, but everyone is so afraid of us, of you." His voice was soft, almost like he was afraid if he spoke any louder, the house would crumble down.

Rumple sighed heavily, "I can't let you do that, dearie. Powers like mine always make enemies- and that put the both of you in danger."

Anna's face looked thoughtful for a moment before looking over at her brother, "I want to go somewhere no one knows who we are, somewhere that we can live normally." Bae nodded along as she spoke.

Their papa peaked up at this, eager to please his daughter, "I'm sure we can find a new place, I think the northern kingdo-"

"A place without magic." She decided, looking to their father for approval.

Rumple looked uncomfortable with the idea of no magic, "Would that make you happy?" he asked carefully. Both children nodded eagerly, Anna's face was lit up with a grin that made his heart ache.

He felt that he couldn't give up the control that this power gave him; but if it made his children happy, he would try.

"Alright, if you can find such a place, we'll go. For you, both of you, I promise." He relented and watched with a sinking feeling as his daughter jumped up with a smile on her face and began to dance around the table.

He wanted them to be happy, but he hoped they didn't find what they were looking for.

OoOoO

A few months later, just when the leaves began to change color, Annabeth was out at the market, picking up a few things for that night's supper.

It was a special day in the house: it was Balefire's birthday. She was going to make hazelnut soup for supper as it was his favorite.

She had just finished picking out some ingredients when a shadow in the corner of her eye made her turn, searching the edges of the market, but saw nothing. She thanked the merchant and started her trek home through the woods.

As she walked, she kept seeing the same shadow from the corner of her eye, turning around constantly. Finally, Anna stopped and set down her basket, "Alright, come on out. I won't hurt you."

She almost missed her as the fairy appeared in front of her. Her dress was made of a gorgeous blue veil like fabric and she had beautiful dark hair in a neat bun on the top of her head. She was beautiful.

She gave Anna a smile and curtsied, "I'm the blue fairy, it's a pleasure to meet you, Anna." The girl gave her a surprised look but curtsied back, "How did you know my name?" She asked in amazement.

Blue chuckled at the sudden childlike question, "Oh dear, I'm a fairy, I've heard all about you." Anna blushed, "I know all about your dream to find a land without magic."

The fairy gave her a serious look before waving her wand, making a small clear bean appear in Anna's hand, "This bean will take you to a land without magic, but be warned," She looked at the girl gravely, "There's no way back to this land. Once you go through the portal, there is no going back. So, make sure that this is really what you want."

Anna nodded and placed the bean in the pocket of her tunic. She gave the fairy a serious look of her own, "What do you want in return?"

Blue looked surprised and the girl smiled, "If there's anything that I've learned from my papa being the Dark One, all magic comes with a price." She quoted the words she'd heard her father say many times since his transformation.

The fairy gave her a sad look, "Such expenses come only with dark magic, like that of the Dark One. My magic is light and doesn't require such things." The two exchanged smiles, though Anna was still a bit wary of the gift, "How does it work?"

"Simply think of where you want to go and throw the bean on the ground, the portal will do the rest." Anna nodded and thanked the fairy for the information and the bean. The Blue fairy left her in the woods with blue sparks trailing behind her.

Anna pulled the bean out and watched at it glittered in the dying sunlight, 'I have to tell Bae right away.' She thought, stuffing it back in her pocket and picking up her basket, hurrying back to the cottage.

When she pushed the door open, Bae was already in the loft drawing something from outside. He looked up when she came in, "Hey Anna, what'd you grab from the market? Do you need help with supper?" he asked, making his way down the ladder and into the kitchen where she began unpacking the basket.

"All the fixings for hazelnut soup, your favorite." She grinned at his surprised face, "Happy birthday, Bae!" He smiled at her and scooped her up in a big bear hug, "Thanks Anna, you're the best!" Anna laughed as he spun her around, causing the bean to fall out of her pocket and onto the wooden floor. Her eyes lit up, "Oh, one more present!"

Bae put her down and she picked it up, presenting it to him, "A bean?" He asked incredulously. She rolled her eyes, "A _magic_ bean, I got it from a fairy. She said it would take us to a land without magic!" His eyes grew wide and so did the grin on his face, "We could leave tonight! We'll have to tell Papa as soon as possible!"

"Tell me what?" Rumplestiltskin asked from the kitchen door, Anna hid the bean quickly before he could see it. Bae smoothly transitioned the conversation by holding up the basket, "Anna is going to make hazelnut soup for my birthday supper!" He grinned, selling it completely.

Rumple nodded absently, "Anna dear, I don't understand why you won't let me hire a cook; you don't have to make the meals anymore." He said as she began to cut up the vegetables for the stew.

Anna rolled her eyes, "I told you a million times, Papa, I like to cook. It calms me." She picked up the cut up carrots and dumped them into the pot in the hearth.

He shrugged and turned back to Bae, "I got you this! Happy birthday, son!" A beautiful notebook with inlaid golden leaves appeared from his cloak. Bae wanted to grab it from his father, but he hesitated. Sensing his unease, Rumple sighed, "I bought it, Bae. Don't worry." Baelfire smiled gently, "Thank you, Papa."

When the soup was ready, Anna called her brother to set the table and began to dole out the soup into three bowls as she always had. Once everything was set and served, the family began to eat and complement her cooking- as always.

Her papa tried to strike conversation with his children, but their answers were short and eventually the small talk died out, leaving only the sound of slurps and spoon scraping against bowls to fill the air.

The bean burned a hole in her pocket.

After supper, Bae helped Anna clean up while their papa retired to the front room to spin some straw. The siblings talked quietly in the kitchen about what they were going to do with the bean; how were they going to bring it up to their papa? How would he take it?

"We should do it now! Wouldn't that be the best present, Bae?" Anna argued, handing him a dish to dry. She wanted to make a fresh start as soon as possible and thanks to the Blue Fairy, she could do just that.

Bae seemed more apprehensive about it but found he couldn't argue with the puppy dog eyes that his sister gave him, "It would, do you want to tell him together?" he asked, placing the bowl back into the cupboard.

She nodded and shot him a grin, which he returned. The siblings finished cleaning up supper and entered the front room, hand in hand.

Rumple looked up when they came in but didn't stop spinning; he never stopped spinning.

Anna released her brother's hand and stepped forward, "Papa, do you remember last harvest, when you said we could start over in a different land?" She asked in a small voice.

Her papa nodded with a smile, returning his eyes to his work, "Of course, dearie. I believe it was only if you could find a way to such a place."

Bae came forward to stand next to his sister, bean in hand, "I think we found a way, Papa. Anna found a way."

The spinning stopped.

Rumple looked up at them sharply, his smile gone, traces of fear in his eyes. Anna stepped forward, holding out the clear bean, "A magic bean, Papa."

Her papa recoiled from the bean, "Where did you get that, Annabeth?" he asked, aghast. The girl tilted her head and lowered her hand, "The blue fairy, she said it would take us anywhere if we think of it."

He narrowed his eyes, "She cannot be trusted, you know all magic comes with a price. We cannot use that; you'll have to find another way." Anna felt tears prick at her eyes, "But Papa, you promised!"

She felt Bae grab her hand and stand tall next to her, "We made a deal, Papa. You know you can't back out of this." His voice was strong, and Anna looked up at their father as he stood from his spinning, his face blank.

He moved passed them and grabbed his cloak, "Right you are, Bae. Get your things, we'll leave in an hours' time." His voice was light, though Anna could tell he was nervous about this. However, the immense joy that overcame her at those words drowned out all worry she had for her father.

Excited, the two gathered their things, putting everything they can carry in their respective rucksacks. Very carefully, Anna placed her elegant green gown she had gotten from her father and the delicately engraved dagger that she had gotten from Bae on her last birthday in her bag to keep them safe; these were her most important items to her that she wanted to take with her to the new world.

Once the two were finished, they hurriedly put on their boots and their cloaks. They stood by the door waiting for their father to lead them into the woods and be on their way.

Anna braided her dark hair while she waited so it didn't get caught in the trees; it was almost to her waist now, about the length her mother had it before she passed.

Rumple emerged from his spinning room, cloak donned and ready, "Alright, let us be on our way." He opened the door to the cottage and led the children out into the forest.

While they walked away from the village, Anna looked up at the stars and wondering if the sky would be different where they were going; she would miss this sky and its stars if they were different. Her mother was amongst those stars as were her grandparents and all those who had passed before her.

Once they were sure they were far enough from the village, Rumple stopped them underneath a large oak and asked Anna for the bean.

"Wait, it's Bae's birthday, he should be the one to throw it." Anna said, handing her brother the bean. He took it and held it in his hand tightly, grabbing his sisters hand in the other. Anna took her father's hand, so they were all linked while Bae threw the bean.

Once the bean hit the dirt, a large green and black hole opened in the ground, sucking and pulling at the air around them. Anna couldn't help the huge grin that pulled at her lips and she squeezed her hands, looking at her family with excitement.

Bae looked back and shared her excitement, but her papa just looked terrified. Her brother shouted something and then jumped in, pulling them with him. Then they were hurtling towards the big portal and she could practically see the other side.

Suddenly, they stopped.

With one hand in Bae's and the other in her father's, Anna looked up and saw that her papa had dug his dagger in the side of the ground, holding them there. Her grip was getting weaker on her brother and in a panic, through teary eyes Anna yelled, "Papa! What are you doing? You promised!"

"We had a deal!" Bae shouted and pulled at Anna's hand. Her grip on her father loosened. Rumple pulled at her, "I can't do it, I need my magic!" He sounded pathetic and defeated.

The portal started to blink and waver. It was about to close.

"Papa! We have to go!" Anna sobbed, pulling her father down. With a hard yank, Rumplestiltskin pulled his daughter to him, causing her to release her brother into the void. Bae called for her as he fell, and she screamed and beat on her father's chest, until she was a mess of tears and angry words.

The portal gave one final spark and disappeared returning the clearing to its quiet night symphony. Anna wailed and curled into herself as her papa looked around the area for Bae, calling and searching to no avail.

Rumple looked at his daughter, who was shuddering and still sobbing and waved a hand, taking them home in a cloud of red. He wrapped her in his arms, ignoring the shouts of anger and hitting and just held her.

Eventually, she just dissolved into sobs and wails of pain and loss, "He's gone, Bae's gone!" was all she said, just repeated over and over. He smoothed out her hair, shushed her and rocked her back and forth, like he did when she was younger and had a bad dream.

Anna looked up at him after a while, her green eyes all red and puffy, "Papa, he's gone. Bae's gone." She sniffled, looking to him like he could make it all better. Rumple merely wiped her tears and kissed her forehead, "I know, dearie, I know. We'll get him back, I promise."

Once Anna had fallen asleep, he tucked her under her blankets and headed back out into the woods, cursing the blue fairy with every step.

"Blue fairy! Show yourself!"

OoOoO

The next few days were quiet in the cottage, Anna cooped herself in the loft she shared with her brother; she neither slept nor ate. The first night she wailed and cried from nightmares and didn't sleep much after that. Rumple was concerned but knew that she needed time and so did he.

Once she was finally able to sleep, she found herself in her tree in a familiar clearing with it's heavy, muggy air. She climbed down from the tree and walked through the underbrush to the cliff's edge where, just as she expected, she saw a beautiful waterfall.

For the first time in days, Anna cracked a smile, "Peter." His name was merely a breath, but she heard a familiar chuckle from behind her and whirled around, "Milady Annabeth." He bowed lowly, his blonde curls falling into his eyes. She ran to him, throwing herself into his arms, squeezing him tight, "Oh, Peter, so much has happened." She sighed, tears forming at the corner of her eyes.

Peter pulled away, holding her at arm's length to get a good look at her face, which was wet and splotched with red from crying, "What happened Anna? Why are you so upset?" She looked up at him with glassy green eyes, "He's gone and it's all my fault, Peter." She whimpered as another sob escaped her.

His hand found her cheek and wiped at her tears, "Who's gone, love?" He asked, his green eyes confused and concerned. Anna sniffled, "Bae, he's gone and it's all my fault." Peter frowned, "I'm sure it isn't your fault, Anna." He led her to a rock and sat her down.

"Tell me everything," He said, rubbing circles on her back. And she did. From what happened after the last time they saw each other to the girl in the market to the vortex that took Bae from her.

By the time she had finished, she was sobbing, and Peter held her close, letting her cry into his tunic. He shushed her and comforted her with sweet nothings and calming words.

"It's not your fault, Anna." He murmured, rubbing her back calmingly. She looked up at him, brushing her sleeves across her face, "How is it not?" She sniffled, "If I hadn't pushed the idea or bothered with the fairy, Bae would still be here!" Her words were drowned out by another wave of tear and she was sobbing again.

"Anna! Look at me!" Peter pulled her away from him, tilting her chin up with a finger. Her eyes were red and wide from his outburst. His face wasn't angry like she had thought; he looked concerned, but his anger wasn't directed at her, she could tell.

"The only person at fault here is your father. If he hadn't been such a coward and so attached to his magic, you and your brother would be in a new land together!" His words were soft but firm, leaving no room for her to argue, "So stop blaming yourself, okay?"

She nodded, "Okay. Thank you, Peter." Anna closed her eyes and leaned against his chest, listening to his heartbeat. She felt herself slip away into a calm sleep.

He brushed his lips against her forehead, "Sweet dreams, Anna."

OoOoO

When Anna awoke, the sun was already high in the sky. She rubbed the sleep from her eyes and sat up in bed, feeling better than she had in days. She thought back on her dream with Peter and decided he was right, she shouldn't blame herself. She should be out trying to find her brother.

She made her way down from the loft and looked towards her father, who was spinning, always spinning.

Taking a deep breath, Anna stepped into the room and did the only thing she could think of that would help.

"Papa, I need you to teach me magic."

The spinning stopped.

"No." Was his answer, he didn't look up at her, but she could see how his shoulders tensed when she asked. She shut her eyes and took another breath, ready for the argument. Using her best bartering tone, she said, "I didn't ask, Papa."

He did look up at this and she saw a fire in his eyes, though she refused to follow her instinct to step back and merely shifted her weight.

Rumpelstiltskin stood, towering over her, "Annabeth, my answer stands, whether you asked or not. No, I will not be teaching you magic." He made to walk past her and into the kitchen, but she stepped in his way.

"Bae wasn't just your son, he was my brother, my best friend. I want to find him as much as you do." Despite her blocking the way, he pushed passed her anyway, unmoved by her words, "You'll stay here, where you're safe while I go and find Bae." His tone was hard, and she swallowed a flinch; he'd never once spoken to her that way.

But he was the Dark One right now, not her papa. So, she would have to barter with him like one would with the Dark One; she would make a deal.

"I'll make a deal with you." He stopped at the door, "You have nothing I want, dearie. Why would I make a deal with you?"

She shook her head, "But I do have something you want, my obedience. I'll never ask you to leave or run off again if you agree to teach me magic and let me help you find my brother." That made him turn and stare at her, pondering the offer.

He sighed and produced a long, flowing parchment. A contract.

The Dark One handed her a quill to sign with, his eyes pained, "Alright, but it won't be easy." He held her gaze and she held his, "I didn't expect it to be."

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 **Alright, everyone take a breath. Anna is gonna be okay. There's gonna be some really good character development for her soon that I'm really excited for!**

 **It might take a couple weeks for the next installment and if you like this story, you may like others that I've written. Shameless plug is shameless!**

 **Lemme know what you guys think!**

 **Until Next Time Lovelies,**

 **~Shikamaru'sLove**


	5. Anna's Outing

Alright everyone! I'm sorry this is late, I had finals week and then had to wrap up some stuff at work. But don't worry, I've got your chapter just like I promised.

Enjoy!

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Over the next two years, Anna studied and learned under her papa, reading ancient texts and practicing spells. He was right: it wasn't going to be easy, but Anna was ready to push herself to her limits if she needed to.

They moved from the hovel and into a giant castle in the northern kingdom, much like the one he had promised them when they were younger. Although she was promised to be taught, Rumple left her often to attend to other deals and to follow up on leads to find Bae. But when he did teach her, he was stern and harsh.

"No, you're too stiff. Relax." Rumple scolded as he circled a 17-year-old Anna who sat on a tree stump cross-legged with a piece of charred wood in her hands. Her dark hair was up in a high pony tail, the ends of it brushing against her lower back. Her green eyes were piercing as a scowl formed on her face, "How am I supposed to relax with you yelling at me?!"

He smirked at her fire and stopped right in front of her, "Battle is loud and distracting, dearie. You must be able to conjure your magic under any circumstances if you're going to be of any help to me." She almost threw the block of wood at his head in frustration, "Am I supposed to learn under pressure too, Papa?"

He could practically feel the electricity in the air from her anger, this was good. Rumple sighed and knelt in front of her, "Alright, close your eyes." She did, and she felt him take the wood from her hands, "Breathe slowly, center yourself." He cupped her hands and she felt heat bloom across her open palms, "Focus on the heat, reach deep down. Now, listen and feel the heart of the flame." His voice grew far away as she concentrated. She tuned out everything, from the rustling of the trees to the birds in the wood as she focused on the spark in her hands. She felt her palm thumping rhythmically, like a heartbeat.

The heat didn't burn her. It was gentle, licking at her fingers as her eyes fluttered open. The fire in her hands was about the size of an apple and crackled happily. Her papa nodded at her in approval, the pride in his eyes glittering in the firelight.

Anna grinned and gently snuffled it out, leaving only smoke, "Now, see if you can create it on your own." Rumple said, and she eagerly shut her eyes, imagining the heat blooming in her palms and to her delight, it did.

OoOoO

One night, her papa didn't come home; this wasn't uncommon, as he was often gone for weeks, sometimes months at a time. But he always made sure to tell her, so she wouldn't worry; she was still his daughter.

Belle, her papa's maid, brought in tea for Anna while she sat in the library looking through another book on alternate realms. She placed the cup next to the girl, who sighed and flopped rather un-ladylike onto the large volume and looked up at the woman who had slowly become her best friend.

Belle sat down with her own tea and patted Anna on the head, "I'm sure he's fine, Anna. Probably got distracted by a deal or something."

Anna furrowed her brow, "He usually sends word if something like that happens, he knows how worried I get." She took a sip of her tea, "But I'm sure you're right, he'll be back in a day or two. Right?"

Belle nodded, looking at the kind girl who continued to pore over all sorts of books trying to find a way to get to her brother. While Rumple was cold and heartless towards her, Anna had opened up to her completely. Though she was made to swear to secrecy, so Anna wouldn't get in trouble with her father, but the two had become fast friends.

She saw how worried she was but decided to distract her instead of letting her fester in her anxiety, "I need to go to the market, would you like to go with me? It would do you some good to get some fresh air."

Anna perked up at the notion and happily agreed, running to get dressed. Belle watched her go with a smile and started to clean up the table. This would be good for her, be good for them both.

Later that day, the two walked along the pier of the northern kingdom, heading down to the market at the docks. Rumple had made her promise to not use magic in the villages to keep her safe; which meant they had to walk from the forest to the docks. But as Anna breathed in the crisp sea air, she felt a wave of calm wash over her, and for once she was thankful for her papa's rules.

Once they arrived, Belle excused herself to look at some vegetables while Anna continued on through the marketplace, just enjoying the feeling of being out in the world. She listened to the loud afternoon bustle of the small town, merchants shouting prices and selling their wares. She laughed as she danced out of the way of children running through the crowd and couldn't remember the last time she was this happy.

She was just about to turn and head back to Belle when she spotted a young boy hiding in one of the alleyways. He was very small and dirty; his scruffy brown hair was matted, and dirt was smeared on his face. His big brown eyes were looking hungrily at an apple on the fruit cart just out of his reach.

Anna walked over to him and he flinched away, his torn and dirty trousers catching on the edge of the cobblestone in his scramble backwards. She stopped and showed her hands, "Hey, it's okay, I won't hurt you." The boy seemed to relax but his eyes were still wary of her.

Anna knelt down in front of him, "Are you hungry?" She asked, as she reached up to grab the apple he had been staring at. He nodded eagerly and accepted the apple that she tossed him, "Here you go." His face lit up with a grin and he bowed, running down the alleyway. She stood with a small smile and dusted herself off. She was about to walk away when a rough hand grabbed her wrist, "THIEF!"

She came face to face with a fat man with shrewd brown eyes; he must've been the fruit merchant, "Are you going to pay for that?" She shook her head, "I don't have any money." It was true, Belle had the coin pouch and she was all the way at the other side of the docks. The merchant sneered at her and pulled her closer to him, "Are you stealing from me? I don't take kindly to those that steal!"

Anna's heart dropped to her stomach as she frantically tried to pull her arm out of his grip, "Wait, no, please!" she cried as he dragged her over to a chopping block. She tried to pull out of his grip again, her mind racing, when a strong hand clapped down on her shoulder, "Well there you are, dear." Said a smooth voice.

She looked up and saw a man about a foot taller than her with a sharp jaw and light stubble. He was older than her but had a sense of youth to him. He shook his shaggy black hair from his brilliant blue eyes and flashed her a suave smile as he turned to the red-faced merchant, "Is my dear sister causing trouble again, sir?" he asked, his voice light.

The merchant threw her wrist down and she clutched it to her chest, rubbing the feeling back into her hand, "This one yours, Killian? She stole from my cart!" He shouted, glaring at the girl.

The man, Killian, nodded and pushed Anna behind him before flipping the man a coin, "Yes, many apologies, sir. She's kind of dim in the head, you see." He said in a stage whisper, and she opened her mouth to argue but he was already pulling her away from the cart and down the road.

Once they had gotten far enough away, Anna ripped her arm out of his grip, "Let go of me," He turned to her with a smirk and a raised brow, "Is that anyway to thank the man that just saved your life?"

She scoffed and folded her arms across her chest, "I-I had it under control." She stammered, and he laughed dryly, "Really? Because it looked like you were about to get your hand cut off for thievery." He said smugly and flashed his left hand or rather where his left hand should've been.

The silver hook shone in the sunlight and Anna's eyes went wide, "As easy as I make it seem, lass, not everyone can pull of this look." He flashed her another brilliant smile and she looked away, a faint blush dusting her cheeks.

Anna composed herself and turned back with a forced smile, "Thank you for saving me, sir." Killian rolled his eyes, "Please, don't call me sir, saving you was the most valiant thing I've ever done." He bowed grandly and took her hand, "Captain Killian Jones, at your service, Miss…" he looked up expectantly and, remembering her manners, she quickly curtsied, "Annabeth."

He pressed a kiss to her hand, making her blush again, "Pleasure to meet you Miss Annabeth." She smiled genuinely, feeling at ease in his presence, "Pleasure is all mine, Captain Jones." He cringed, "Just Killian if you would, Annabeth." She shared his look, "Of course, but Anna is perfectly fine." He offered her an escort to the docks since he was already going that way and she accepted.

"So, Captain Killian, do you have your own ship?" She asked with a grin, and she saw his eyes light up, "I do, The Jolly Roger. She's there in the harbor." He pointed towards one of the ships in the harbor and Anna felt her blood run cold at the sight of a pirate flag flown above it. _"She was killed…by a pirate."_ Her papa's words rang in her head.

She swallowed around the lump in throat, "Are you a pirate, Killian?" She asked slowly, a slight tremble in her voice. Killian slowed his steps and looked down at her, questions in his blue eyes, "Yes, why?"

Anna looked towards the sea, watching the water lap at the sand, "My mother was killed by a pirate," her voice was soft, barely above a whisper. They'd never really spoken about her mother's death and just saying that sentence out loud made Anna's heart feel heavy in her chest.

The pirate captain cleared his throat, "I'm sorry to hear that, Anna. But if it helps, my men and I don't kill people." He squeezed her hand comfortingly and she gave him a smile, "Thank you, it does." In the distance, she saw Belle looking around frantically, probably for her.

Anna sighed, "Well I better go. Thank you for saving me from getting my hand cut off." She bowed, "May we meet again, Captain Hook," She teased and ran off towards her worried friend, who berated her for wandering off before hugging her.

Killian watched the two leave the market with mixed emotions brewing in his gut, "Sooner than you think, Annabeth."

OoOoO

The days turned into weeks and the weeks turned into a month. Anna knew her father wouldn't be gone this long without a word to her. She made for his spinning room, to see where he was headed off to.

She was stopped by a barrier that shone purple in the sunlight, _magic barrier, nice Papa,_ she thought irritated. But undeterred, she waved her hand and channeled the magic from the barrier and into her. It stung a little, but it didn't last very long, and the barrier fell.

She stepped into the room and over the bales of straw and gold, to where her father left his notes and contracts. After an hour of sorting and digging, Anna concluded that the newest one was from around the time her papa left, it was with the evil queen from the western kingdom.

 _Strange,_ she thought, _I thought papa hated her_. She decided that she would pay the queen a visit to look for her father. Anna headed down the hall and up the stairs to her chambers to prepare for her trip.

The queen was powerful and while Anna was the daughter of the Dark One and quite powerful herself, the queen had more experience than she did, and Anna didn't want to die just yet.

She slipped on her best dress, the green one from years ago that Belle had altered for her and her dagger underneath just in case. She wanted to make a good impression on Queen Regina, but she didn't want to come unprepared; she wasn't stupid.

Last, she clipped the locket that her papa had given her for her last birthday around her neck. It was silver and oval shaped with a single green jewel in the middle that glowed lowly; it was enchanted to protect her from dark magic.

She wasn't stupid.

Anna made sure that Belle knew where she was going and not to worry, she would send word when she found her papa.

Once she was sure she was as prepared as she could be, Anna stood before her mirror and waved her hand much like she had watched her father do many times and she disappeared into light blue smoke.

OoOoO

Anna had never practiced teleportation for more than a few miles at a time, because her papa had always warned against it since she was not powerful enough for that.

She remembered that a little too late.

She crashed into some trees just outside the palace landing roughly on her back, knocking the breath out of her. When Anna was finally able to sit up and catch her breath, she realized that she was surrounded by guards in black armor pointing spears at her.

How lovely.

They dragged her to her feet and she dusted herself off, "I'm not an enemy! I'm here to speak to the queen about my father."

The guards lowered their weapons and jumped to attention. They marched into a formation around her and escorted her through the large iron gates and inside the dark castle. They didn't speak to her at all, but she could almost smell the obedience spell on them.

Anna admired the dark décor as they made their way through the maze of hallways to the throne room. And she thought her papa had bad taste in decorations; but she kept her thoughts to herself. She was here to respectfully ask where her father was and not stir trouble with one of the most powerful spell casters in the land.

No pressure.

The guards threw the huge ornate doors open and collectively filed out from their formation around her and to the sides of the room. Anna released the breath she hasn't realized she had been holding and entered the room with the confidence she often used when talking to her papa.

She walked towards the dark figure on the throne, her heels on the stone floor echoing in the silent chamber and it sent shivers down her spine. She reminded herself that this was for her papa; she could do this. The figure on the throne stood as Anna approached her, and it was all the girl could do to maintain her air of easy confidence.

The queen wore her long dark locks in a high pony tail with a sparkling black headband keeping it pulled back. Her skintight, floor length gown was all black with silver embellishments along the neckline and an open laced bosom. Her aura was as dark as her outfit and Anna almost started to shake. But she took a breath and centered herself.

She curtsied, "Queen Regina," Regina just waved her hand, conjuring a fireball, "Spare me the niceties, who are you? Magicking your way into my kingdom the way you did, give me one good reason why I shouldn't kill you where you stand, girl!"

Anna willed her fears away, she wouldn't let herself be intimidated; she was the Dark One's daughter.

She waved her hand in front of her, easily dispelling the queen's fireball, "Please, Regina. I'm not here to fight, my father came to see you a month ago and I want to know where he is." Her voice was firm, and the queen's eyes were wide at how easily she dispelled her magic and her brows furrowed into a glare.

Then, slowly, she smiled, wide and evil.

"Rumpelstiltskin is your father?" She laughed darkly, her voice echoing in the large room, "You must be kidding."

Anna's eyes flashed, she didn't have time for this, "Do you know where he is or not?"

Regina frowned, "Well, he's not here. He came for information and then ran off." Anna resisted rolling her eyes, "What information?" The queen chuckled, "I don't know, he said something about a curse and wanted to know where some ingredients were."

Anna nodded, her mind quickly flitting over what possible spells she could be talking about and come up with nothing. She narrowed her eyes at Regina, "What did you tell him?" She asked, in an annoyed tone. Regina was dragging this out, did she know or not?

Regina smirked, "I told him about the Tree of Memories somewhere in the eastern kingdoms, I haven't seen him in a couple weeks. So, if you're here, I'm not wrong to assume that he hasn't come home?"

Anna glared and ignored the question. She bowed lowly, "Thank you, Queen Regina. I'll be going now." And before the queen could stop her, she waved her hand and disappeared in a cloud of light blue smoke.

Having learned her lesson, Anna only teleported a few miles away from the castle and began to make her way back home to prepare for her trip to the Tree of Memories.

* * *

Hope you all enjoyed it! I'm so excited to finally get to introduce Killian and Regina!

See you next Thursday for the next chapter!

Until Next Time Lovelies,

~Shikamaru'sLove


	6. The Tree of Memories

**Happy Thursday everyone! This one is a little short but there's a lot that happens!**

 **Enjoy!**

* * *

Belle looked up when Anna appeared at the gates of the castle, "How did it go?" She asked, following her up the stairs. Anna groaned, "I hate royalty. I swear the queen was trying to torture me with how slowly she was giving me information." Belle chuckled, "Did she tell you anything useful, at least?" She asked as they made their way up the second flight of stairs and into Anna's room.

Belle started helping her out of her dress. Anna shook her head, "My only lead is the Tree of Memories in the eastern kingdoms. Regina said Papa was looking for some ingredients for a curse and she told him to look there."

Belle's hands stilled on the laces of her dress, "I've read about that. The Tree of Memories is supposed to show you your darkest memories, one's that you feel the most guilt for. And if you can face them, you can take the fruit." She finished undoing the laces and turned to the closet to get another outfit out while Anna undressed behind the screen, "It's supposed to be a magical fruit that grants wishes," Belle handed her a dark pair of trousers and a wine-red poets shirt with a black corset.

Anna accepted the clothes and began to dress, "It's been weeks since he saw Regina. Do you think he's stuck in a memory?" She finished pulling on the shirt and turned to Belle to get laced into her corset. Belle pursed her lips, "It's possible, he's not the most righteous man, who knows what memory he's facing. Are you going to go after him?"

Anna worried her lip as she thought about what horrible memory he would be forced to relive. Belle was right, her papa wasn't the most righteous man, but he didn't deserve to suffer that way.

She turned to her friend, "I have to, it's been weeks. He could be trapped in something terrible." She said exasperatedly and headed down the hall towards her father's study. Belle followed, her eyebrows knit together in worry, "Are you sure you'll be alright, Anna? The Tree will test you too, what if you can't handle it?"

Anna paused on the winding stone steps that led to the spinning room, "My worst memory is watching my brother fall into the portal without me. That can't be nearly as bad as whatever Papa's is. I can handle myself if it means saving Papa." Her voice was deadpanned, and it made Belle stop cold in her tracks. She watched as the Dark One's daughter continued her way down the stairs; if there's one thing she's learned about this family, it was that they never gave up.

She found Anna holding one of Rumpelstiltskin's cloaks when she reached the doorway. Anna murmured a soft enchantment and it glowed light blue, floating above her hands. She looked up at Belle and smiled, "I'll be back before the sun sets tomorrow." The maid smiled back and hugged her hard, "Promise me that you'll be careful." Anna gave her a squeeze and pulled away, "Of course, Belle."

The two said their goodbyes and in a burst of light blue smoke, Anna disappeared.

Luckily, her trip to the eastern kingdoms was much closer than her trip to Regina's and Anna landed perfectly outside of the forest. She took a deep breath and released the enchanted cloak. It soared up into the air for a moment before gliding down and darting into the wood.

Anna followed it through the trees, tripping over overgrown roots and ducking under overhanging breaches. She shivered at the dark, heavy feeling that the forest gave her. It was dark, the canopy absorbing almost all the sunlight, and she could barely see her hand in front of her. It was all she could do to keep the glowing cloak in front of her.

Eventually, the cluster of trees gave way to a clearing. A large tree stood in the middle, its trunk the size of their old hovel with branches spidering out and up, blocking all daylight. In fact, Anna noticed, the only light was from the pear-shaped fruit that hung from the branches, illuminating the clearing in a low golden light. This was the Tree of Memories, she realized with a shiver.

The cloak fell uselessly to the ground, all magic lost. Anna picked it up, wrapping it around herself for comfort as she stepped carefully into the clearing. In the dim light, she could make out the shadow of a figure who was standing just on the other side of the tree. Her heart skipped, "Papa?" she asked, and it turned to her. It was smaller than her father; shorter, slimmer.

Her steps grew quicker as the golden light caught his short brown hair that was shaggy in places. His face had faint freckles and a dark green cloak hung from broad shoulders. Ice flooded her veins and she slowed her steps, "…Bae?" Her voice was barely above a whisper and she felt tears prick at her eyes.

She was only a few feet away from him now, almost within arm's reach. Baelfire smiled as her and held out his hand. He looked just like he did when he disappeared, and Anna couldn't hold back her tears any longer. She ran towards him, her chest burning with longing as she flung herself into his arms, "I missed you so much, Bae!" She sobbed out into his chest.

His arms wrapped around her and his hand wound into her hair, "I missed you too, Anna. I was so scared." She felt warm and happy, the familiar feeling of his fingers combing through her hair calming her. Slowly, the memories of why she was there, the Tree, her papa, anything that wasn't her brother faded into the background of her mind.

Her tears stopped, and she felt herself dozing in and out as she focused on the feeling of Bae running his fingers through her hair. But just as she was about to fall into the blackness, she felt the fingers in her hair grow sharper and scratch harder at her scalp, "Ow, Bae, you're hurting me." She muttered, her eyes opening.

His grip got tighter and she had trouble catching her breath, the hand in her hair pulled her head back with a sharp yank. Anna struggled in his grip, pushing on his chest, "Let go!" Her voice cracking as she looked up at his face. A scream caught in her throat and she struggled harder.

The once tanned and freckled kind face of her brother was now gray and decayed. His hair was falling out in clumps and his skin was wrinkled and rotting off. The dark holes where his eyes used to be bored into her frightened emerald ones, "Why'd you let go, Anna? Why'd you let me go?" He moaned, his voice warped and inhuman.

Anna screamed again and pushed him away, getting some distance between them, "I'm sorry, Bae, I'm so sorry." She cried, tears returning. She looked around quickly and noticed the area around them was covered in a mist so thick she couldn't see anything but the ghoul of her brother. Her breathing came in heavy pants as she began to panic. _The air seems thinner somehow_ , she thought, feeling light headed.

The ghoul staggered forward towards her, it's legs bowing out as it did. She took a step backwards as her vision started to go dark at the edges and she bumped into something rough. She gripped at it, the familiar feeling of bark biting into her palms, jolted her memory. Images flooded her mind: The Tree of Memories, saving her papa, and the real reason Bae was gone.

Anna's vision grew sharper and the fog began to lift. Her breathing grew easier and she looked at the hulking figure a few feet from her. Slowly, she raised her hand towards it, her fingers outstretched, "It wasn't my fault, Bae." She said calmly and leveled her gaze at the moaning figure, "But you're not my brother." Her hand clenched into a fist, crushing the ghoul into dust.

In its place sat a golden fruit, glowing gold in the grass around it. Anna picked it up, feeling a surge of warmth creep up her arm. _Must be strong magic_ , she thought as she slipped it into the pocket of her cloak.

She blinked and found herself rooted into place, unable to take a step forward. She looked down in a panic to see roots and vines from the tree wrapped around her ankles slowly making their way up to her knees, holding her in place. With a curse, she summoned a fireball and burned the plants away, freeing herself. _It must've just been an illusion_ , she thought, running a hand through her hair,

Anna looked around, scanning the clearing for her father. She spotted another figure a few yards from her and walked towards it with caution, in case it was another illusion. The outline of it was about the same size and shape as her father, she noted as she approached. The light from the fruit lit up the form that was covered up to the neck in roots and vines. As she walked around the front of it, her heart dropped as she recognized the pained face as her papa's. His eyes were screwed shut and his face was contorted in pain as he murmured something too quiet for her to hear.

"Papa! Wake up!" She cried, brushing his hair from his sweaty forehead. She gently pressed her palms to his cheeks; he was burning up. He grunted in pain and her chest seized with panic, "Papa! Wake up! It isn't real!" She shouted, frantically pulling the vines from his body. But the more she pulled, the quicker and tighter they grew back.

She took a step back and pinched the bridge of her nose, trying to calm herself. _Alright, Anna. Stay calm, think logically,_ she thought to herself. Rumple groaned in pain again and she cupped his face, teary-eyed, "I wish I could see what you're seeing, so I could help you." She whispered, closing her eyes.

Suddenly, the familiar feeling of strong magic seeping into her arms and down her body made her eyes snap open. She pulled the fruit from her pocket, it's light pulsating and blinding. The warmth traveled from the fruit and up her arm, the hot energy blooming across her chest and up her neck. She tried to drop it, but it was fused to her palm with a golden sheen enveloping her whole being. It was moving and flexing with her movements like a river would around a mountain.

Anna shut her eyes as the light grew brighter and the heat grew warmer, just on the edge of being uncomfortable before dimming. She felt the magic slowly disappear, but the warmth lay nestled at the nape of her neck, purring softly. She gasped as her eyes opened and looked at her hands as the fruit tumbled form her grasp, its skin dulled and gray before turning to ash in the grass. She didn't look any different, but she felt different; stranger in a way.

Her papa gave another shout and she whirled towards him, resting her hands on either side of his face again. This time, she got a jolt of electricity down her spine. The warmth flooded down her arms from its place on her neck and a golden sheen enveloped her hands, flowing onto his temples where her fingers touched. She felt that same energy travel up to her temples and her vision grew dark and fuzzy at the edges as drops of gold flecked into her eyes.

Anna blinked and suddenly she was on the deck of a ship on a warm summer day. Her papa stood with his back to her, his crimson cloak billowing in the sea breeze. The crew of the ship surrounded him, weapons drawn and pointed. _I must be in Papa's memory_ , she thought, looking around. Her heart dropped at the sight of a familiar pirate flag flying over them; it looked just like the one on Killian's ship.

She looked back to her father and tried to shout to him, but her voice made no sound, just a hiss of air like the wind. Puzzled, she pushed through the crowd, but her arm passed right through them. She looked down at her hands, startled, she could see right through them to the deck of the ship; like she was a ghost.

She shook off the feeling of dread that had washed over her and walked through the crowd of pirates. It felt strange, but she ignored it when she saw who her father was standing in front of. Anna's breath caught in her throat as the Dark One thrust his hand into the chest of Killian Jones, making him cry out in pain.

Anna ran over to them and tried to grab her papa's wrist, cursing when her hand passed right through it uselessly. She looked up at his face, he was grinning maliciously, a dark glint in his eyes. "Papa, stop!" She shouted trying to separate the two, but it was hopeless; she couldn't speak to or touch either of them.

Killian looked up just then and Anna noticed that he looked exactly as he had when she saw him in the market. He reached up and grabbed her father's arm, trying to pull it from his chest to no avail. He pulled with both of his hands; not a hook in sight. Anna barely had a moment to wonder how old this memory was when a shout from across the ship made everything stop, including Anna's heart, "Stop!"

She turned slowly, in sync with her father. Descending the stairs in an outfit not unlike Anna's with rich reds and blacks, was Milah alive and well. Tears flooded her vision, "Mama," Anna whimpered, her voice clear as a bell in her ears. Rumple turned, his eyes clear for a moment and he saw her for the first time. The wicked grin slipped from his face, "Annabeth," He muttered, his voice a breath as his wife ran down the steps and his eyes glazed over once again.

Anna didn't hear anything over the blood rushing in her ears. She watched the memory unfold in front of her like a dream, frozen. Her mother was just as she remembered her, soft features with a dust of freckles across her nose, her dark curls pulled back in a ponytail like a waterfall down her back. Even now, her sharp green eyes were filled with the same compassion that they had when Anna was young.

A loud cry startled Anna out of her thoughts as Rumplestiltskin thrust his hand into her mother's chest.

But before Anna could react, a familiar fog rolled in as the air grew thin. The ship disappeared and the three of them were in the dark clearing. Her mother grabbed her father's forearm with an ashen and decayed hand and yanked him closer, "I never loved you, Rumple. Because I could see what kind of monster you really are." Her voice was garbled and inhuman, echoing in the darkness.

Rumple was crying, something Anna hadn't seen him do in a long time, "I'm sorry, Milah. I'm so sorry," He whimpered, and Anna saw a black and purple haze encircle him, draining him of magic.

Panic set her body into autopilot as Anna pushed the ghoul of her mother away from him, leaving the glowing heart pulsing in his hand. She grabbed her father's face and looked into his clouded eyes, "Papa! This isn't real! You're stuck in a memory! You need to destroy it!" She felt him pull away and tightened her grip, "Mama's dead, Papa! You need to fight this! I need you home!" She tried to sound stern, but her voice cracked as a lump formed in her throat.

Rumple's eyes slowly found hers as they cleared, "Annabeth," He trailed off as he slowly came back to reality and she let him go. The mist began to lift as her papa turned to the ghoul who was staggering towards them. The Dark One looked down at the heart in his hand and squeezed. The creature cried out in pain, sounding more human as it fell to the ground grasping at its chest.

He sneered at it, "Milah is dead and this isn't real!" Then he crushed the heart to dust and with it the imposter. Just like when Anna's destroyed the Baelfire ghoul, a golden pear-shaped fruit was left in its place. Very carefully, Rumplestiltskin picked it up and put it in his cloak. He turned to Anna, who was staring at him with mixed emotions. He opened his mouth to say something but then another jolt wen through her and she was back in front of the Tree.

Anna released him, the golden light fading from her body as Rumple broke out of his vine-covered prison. She staggered backwards, black dots dancing in her eyes and her knees buckled. Her head felt light and heavy at the same time and she just felt so tired.

The last thing she saw was her father rushing towards her before her vision went completely dark.

* * *

 **Whoo! Now Anna knows the truth and she has new magic! I wonder if she'll use it for good?**

 **Hope you all enjoyed it and I'll see you all next Thursday!**

 **Until next time lovelies,**

 **~Shikamaru'sLove**


	7. New Realizations

**Hello Lovelies! I'm so sorry for the extremely late update. I'm in the process of moving across the country and finding a new job and also registering for college again (Let's go degree #2!). So it's been hard to focus on writing and editing. But here's chapter 7!**

 **Hope you enjoy!**

* * *

The feeling of fingers running through her hair roused Anna from sleep. Before she even opened her eyes, she knew where she was. If the warm, heavy air didn't give it away, the roar of the waterfall in the distance did. Sighing, her eyes fluttered open and the familiar picture of trees of lush greens and vines greeted her.

Her head was resting on something soft and warm and when her vision cleared, she looked up, blinking in the late sunlight, "Is my sleeping beauty finally awake?" He heard and felt Peter chuckle, the fingers in her hair stilling only for a moment.

With a small smile, Anna began to sit up to hug her friend but found her movements were slow and sluggish. She whined in confusion, "What happened, Peter?" she asked, her voice still heavy with sleep. She realized that her head was in his lap and he was leaned against a bolder next to her willow tree.

Peter glanced down at her, concern in his green eyes, matching her own. He brushed a few dark strands from her face, tucking them behind her ear, "When you fell asleep, your body and spirit were drained, Anna." He resumed playing with her hair, "Try to think back to what happened, hmm?"

Her mind was swimming and she tried to focus it, but she only saw brief flashes of a ship and a golden light. She shook her head to clear it, "I was on a ship, I think," She muttered, trying to fit the pieces together. Peter was quiet while she did, only continuing to run his fingers through her hair.

Anna gave up for a moment and decided to catch him up on the past couple years, from her magic lessons to her adventure at the market with Killian. She didn't know how he'd react to the news of her learning magic, but he just nodded and gave her a gentle smile. He said he was proud that she was becoming so strong, to be able to teleport and dispel the queen's fire the way she had, "It's impressive," he'd said.

Slowly, memories began to return to her, and she told him everything: looking for her father, the strange visions, the tree of memories. Peter was quiet and nodded along, "There was this strange warmth and golden glow on my arms and then I could see inside his memory." At this, the boy perked up, his fingers stilling.

Even as tired as she was, Anna recognized the glint in his eyes; it was just like when her papa got an idea.

Peter cleared his throat, "How strange. Did the fruit do that?" She shrugged, "I think so, Belle said it could grant wishes, but then it turned to dust right afterwards." He nodded, "Interesting, with a touch you could see into his mind." He hummed before prompting her to go on.

She continued and as she did, she felt her strength return and her mind grew clearer. Eventually, she sat up and leaned her head against his shoulder, "Then my mother walked down the steps…but Papa said she was killed by pirates…" She trailed off, her voice thick with tears.

She heard Peter sigh and he lifted her chin with a knuckle. He leveled his gaze with hers and spoke slowly, "Anna, your mother wasn't killed by a pirate."

Anna swallowed around the lump in her throat, "What are you talking about? Papa said-"

"He lied to you, Anna." Peter interrupted, his voice was slow and firm, "That's why the Tree showed him the memory of when he tore out her heart, it was his darkest memory." His eyes were soft, and she knew then that he wasn't lying and her heart broke.

There were a few tears that fell down her cheeks, but she didn't sob like she though she would have; her gut twisted angrily at the realization. Betrayal and rage brewed in her, all directed at her father. 'How dare he lie to me this way?! How could he have done something this terrible? She was the mother of his children!' the thoughts swirled around in her mind, making her angrier.

She felt a warmth cover her body, much like it had before at the Tree, but it was warmer now, fueled by rage. Peter gently caressed her cheek, snapping her attention to his face, "Easy there, Anna. Your magic is easily influenced by your emotions, stay calm." He soothed, and she took a deep breath to calm herself.

He ran the back of his finger along the curve of her face, and Anna felt herself flush, "Come with me, Anna." She laughed despite herself at the proposal, "What? To Neverland?" He nodded with a Cheshire grin on his face, "No, Peter, I can't." She giggled out, tilting her head.

His face fell, "Why not? Your father doesn't care about you, Anna. He lied to you about your mother, what else could he be lying to you about?" He ran a finger along her arm as she looked away, pushing herself off the ground, "Do you think he's even looking for your brother?"

Peter's voice was soft, but Anna felt like he stabbed her in the chest. Her breath caught, and tears flooded her vision as she whirled around to face him. His eyes held a fire that made her uneasy, but she didn't know why.

"Of course he's looking for Bae! That's what he's been working towards for years…" She spat out, angry that he'd even insist otherwise. But something stopped her from continuing, a thought from the day before, when she met with the Evil Queen,

 _"He came for information and then ran off." Anna resisted rolling her eyes, "What information?" The queen chuckled, "I don't know, he said something about a curse and wanted to know where some ingredients were."_

What curse could her father be thinking of trying? What did it have to do with finding Baelfire?

Peter stood at arms-length but made no move to comfort her, watching as her green eyes stared into the distance, thinking, "Yes, but how long do you think that will take?" He began to circle her, arms folded behind his back.

She knit her brows together, watching him carefully. This was a new side of Peter Pan that she hadn't seen before; there was a new depth to his tone, one that she couldn't place. But her stomach twisted with unease.

He stopped behind her, and hummed, "I could always help you find him." He said simply, like he was talking about the weather. Anna's shoulders grew tense, but she didn't turn to face him. Instead, she held her breath and turned her head slightly to the left.

"You could?" Her voice was so soft he could barely hear it. He smirked and gave a warm laugh, "Of course I could, Anna. But you would have to come with me."

She swallowed, and her shoulders drooped, "There's nothing left there for you, Anna. I could help you-" He said, his hand reaching out to rest on her shoulder. But she whipped around before he could, her green eyes glassy and glaring straight into his.

"That's not true, Peter! I still have my papa and Belle!" she snapped at him, willing herself not to cry. She'd never seen Peter act anything like this before, he'd pled for her to run away before, but this felt different; felt manipulative.

He just looked at the ground, "If that's what you believe, Annabeth," He kicked at the dirt with his boot, "Then ask him about your mother, ask him what lengths he would go to for his children." He looked back up at her. There was no malice in his eyes, no trace of manipulation and Anna felt guilty for even thinking it; he just wanted to help her.

Peter shook his head at her, as if reading her mind, "You have a lot on your mind, Anna. Get some rest, love." He kissed her forehead and her eyes fluttered shut; he just wanted to help her.

Right?

When Anna's eyes cracked open again, she was greeted with the familiar sight of the walls of her room, covered in fabrics. She sat up and stretched, feeling some soreness in her limbs that came with sleep. Other than that, she felt well rested, nothing like the sluggishness she felt in her dream. She wondered idly how long she'd been asleep as she got up to change out of her night clothes that Belle had changed her into, she assumed.

Once she had changed into a white poet's shirt and dark trousers, she ventured out of her room and down the winding staircase to her father's spinning room. He was sitting with his back to the doorway, spinning. Always spinning.

She paused in the doorway and watched him spin for a moment before continuing her way down the hall and down the steps to the kitchen to eat something and find Belle. She didn't want to face him without something in her stomach.

Belle was cutting vegetables and dumping them into the pot on the stove when Anna entered. The kitchen smelled amazing and she hummed in appreciation, making Belle turn around sharply, a broken gasp escaping her lips, "Anna!" The girl was immediately engulfed in a hug, knocking the air out of her.

"Hi, Belle." She wheezed out and Belle pulled away from her, "'Hi, Belle'?!" She mocked, aghast, "Anna, you've been asleep for days."

Anna's eyes widened, "What do you mean days? How many days?!" She didn't think it had been longer than a night or two; had she really used that much energy?

Belle tucked a strand of hair behind her ear, avoiding her gaze, "Five days. Your father said not to worry about you, that you'd come around; you'd just used too much magic. But you know me, I worry."

Anna's eyes flashed, and she felt a red-hot anger boil in her stomach. She'd been out cold for five days, and he was spinning away in his room like she'd just slept late?! Heat bloomed out from her neck and down her arms before Peter's words echoed in her mind and she took a deep breath to calm herself.

She forced a smile, "Well I'm alright now, feel better than I have in ages." She said, not listening to Belle as she served her some stew and ordered her to eat. She babbled on about how she shouldn't eat so fast after being asleep for so long, but Anna couldn't hear her over the slurping of soup and the blood rushing in her ears.

Two bowls of soup and half a loaf of bread later, Anna thanked Belle for the meal and excused herself to go study. She made her way upstairs to her father's spinning room, hesitating in the doorway, suddenly unsure of what to say. The anger in her stomach had dulled, replaced with a helplessness she couldn't explain.

Rumple kept spinning when he heard his daughter stop in the doorway, his head only coming up to glance up at her. It was quiet for a moment, aside from the constant spinning, until Anna cleared her throat, "Papa, I-"

The spinning stopped as soon as she parted her lips, "Anna, were you in this room while I was away?" Her father asked, his voice quiet. Her eyes were quick to find a spot on the floor to look at while she gathered her courage,

"I hadn't heard from you in a month, Papa. I needed to find you, I was wor-" He cut her off, "I don't need a child looking after me! You know to stay out of this room!"

She flinched but kept her eyes lowered, the anger in her gut growing steadily. She heard him sigh and she looked up. He stood up and made his way over to her, laying a heavy hand on her shoulder, "It was a dangerous thing that you did, Anna. You could've gotten hurt and I can't lose you too."

Anna's brows knit together and shrugged off his hand, "I can handle myself, Papa. I faced my memory just fine…" She took a deep breath and bit her lip, "Speaking of the Tree, Papa, is what I saw in _your_ memory true? Did you kill Mama?"

She saw realization pass over his face, golden eyes worried, "How did you see that?" he muttered, "The Tree shows you your worst memory in order to siphon off your magic and life energy, but it's all in the victims' mind…so how were you able to see into my mind?"

The avoidance of his answer made the fire in her belly roar like a caged animal. Her eyes narrowed, and she crossed her arms across her chest. _Peter was right_ , the thought echoed in her mind, but she needed him to say it.

The heat seeped up into her arms and chest, fueled by her anger and frustration as she bit back, "You didn't answer my question! Did you lie to us about what happened to Mama?" She was seething and watching her father scramble to come up with an answer just made her angrier.

"I had to, Anna. She abandoned us for that _pirate_!" His entire demeanor changed, he became defensive and just as angry as she was.

For some reason, hearing it from her father made it seem more real than it had when Peter told her; _he killed Mama_. All of a sudden, she was five-year-old again and the same pain tore through her, but it was mixed with a new emotion; anger, red and raw.

"So, you _killed her_?!" She asked, her voice heavy with tears as she swallowed around the lump in her throat.

The magic enveloped her like a comforting blanket, its warmth nurturing. But the fire in her belly only grew as the anger in her built its pyre higher.

The Dark One didn't say anything, just stared at his daughter as her green eyes became flecked with gold specks and her body was covered in a golden sheen, "Did the fruit do this?" he muttered, reaching out to touch her arm.

Anna flinched away, "Don't touch me! Peter was right, you really don't care about me or how I feel!"

It was Rumple's turn to flinch, " _Peter Pan_ told you that, did he?" he sneered the name in disgust.

She nodded, angrily glaring at the spinning wheel, "Are you even looking for Bae, Papa?" Her voice was small but cut through him like a knife.

His aura turned darker than she'd thought possible but instead of shouting, like she expected, his voice dropped to a quiet, low growl,

"What would make you think otherwise, dearie?" She suppressed a shiver, "Did _Peter_ tell you that as well?" he snapped, his voice raising ever so slightly.

Anna took a deep breath, trying to draw on the strength of the fire in her belly. She shook her head, "It was something Regina told me, when I was trying to find you. Said you were looking for ingredients for a curse." She shifted her weight, from foot to foot, "What does the curse have to do with find Bae, Papa?"

Rumple took a quick intake of breath, as his eyes looked elsewhere, "That is no concern of yours." His tone was firm and monotone.

And her entire world collapsed just like that. No warning, like a shattered mirror, breaking piece by piece until there was nothing left in the frame.

No concern of hers. The search for her brother, her best friend, was none of her concern. She was a child again, always getting in the way; a burden. She really meant nothing.

Golden bulbus eyes stared into glistening emerald, holding no remorse or apology. They were stony and distant until he looked away, stepping further into the room. She felt the heat disappear and she was left feeling cold.

For a moment, it was quiet.

Then, with a calming breath, Anna said words she could never take back.

She said, "I wish you had let me go." It was quiet, barely above a whisper, but he'd heard her.

Rumple froze in place. He had moved to the corner of the room, his fingers frozen over the jar that held the golden pear, as if to take it to study it.

Slowly, he turned around, his own heart breaking as his hand closed around the jar.

Then, he too said words he could never take back,

He said, "I wish I had too." His voice was deep, angry. But she heard him loud and clear.

And so did the fruit.

As soon as the words left his lips, the Dark One's body was covered in a dark golden sheen, blanketing his entire being, leaving his eyes a bright gold, like two suns.

Inhumanly, his arm flung upwards towards her. She was hurled into the wall, where a mysterious purple portal had opened up. Before she even had time to scream, the void swallowed her whole, before disappearing entirely.

The warmth and buzz left Rumple's body and he fell to his knees. His magic wasn't drained as much as Anna's had been after her wish; no, he had more magic than she did. His heart felt like it had been ripped out and he felt icy tendrils of regret ripple through him.

His breath didn't come easily, instead, shuddering gasps escaped his lips as he frantically tried to draw breath into his lungs. The cold feeling crept up from his chest and through his neck and limbs, leaving him feeling heavy. His face felt wet and he realized that he was crying; no, he was sobbing.

That was how Belle found him. A sobbing mess on the ground, with no sign of Anna anywhere.

He'd broken his promise.

He'd lost her.

* * *

 **Alright, I know it's a bit short, but everything is falling right into place for Anna.**

 **I'm going to try to have the next chapter up within the next two weeks, at the very least before the end of the month.**

 **Lemme know what you think!**

 **Until Next Time Lovelies,**

 **~Shikamaru'sLove**


	8. Rough Seas

**Hello Everyone! I'm not dead! I moved across the country and started at University so that's taken most of my time but, I've been gradually working on this for you guys!**

 **Hope you enjoy!**

* * *

Peter watched in his mirror as Rumplestiltskin fell to his knees in defeat, with a smirk on his face. He reveled in the feeling of watching his old friend suffer as he lost yet, another child; a delicious shiver dancing up his spine. He gently tapped the glass, the scene before him rippling like liquid as it took form of another image: a dark scene, a ship at sea in a storm.

His smirk twisted into a snarl, _No!_ This wasn't right, she wasn't supposed to end up _there_! His good mood crumbling as a raw anger built up in his chest and he slammed his fist into the vanity. However, a tiny tremor, sharp and cold, ripped through him, leaving him feeling calm but energized. His vision grew sharper and his mind raced with realization as he stared back at the mirror; the delicious shiver was back.

She'd crossed the threshold. She was his now.

"Felix, I have a job for you boys." Peter muttered, a shadow stepping out behind him. A tall blonde leaned in the doorway, his club tapping idly against his leg. He nodded and left to go gather up some troops, eager to follow Pan's orders.

 _I'll be seeing you very soon, Anna_. Peter thought, watching as the scene unfolded before him in the mirror.

OoOoO

Anna was sent tumbling through a dark and empty space, her heart in her throat. The roar of the wind so loud in her ears, that she could barely form a thought or try to comprehend what was happening. Her panic was interrupted by a sharp, cold slap as her body hit the water below.

Sea water flooded her lungs and eyes as she sunk into the inky depths. The dark undercurrent was like a wild dog and pushed her this way and that as she struggled blindly to the surface. Icy cold wind hit her wet face as she broke above the waves, coughing up water and wiping her eyes. It was dark up here, darker than below the water, she thought, as thunder and lightning shook the skies around her.

She looked around desperately, _where am I?! How did I get here?_ Her thoughts came in frantic jumbles as she began to panic, which only surged stronger when a net landed on top of her.

Anna screamed and struggled as the rope bit into her limbs, pulling her out of the sea. Her wet clothes clung to her, and the cold sea winds made her shiver. She pushed her wet hair from her face and wrapped her arms around herself for warmth. Green eyes shifted back and forth, trying to get a glimpse of her surroundings, when a strike of lightning lit up a ship with a crew scurrying around, pulling at the rope that held her up.

She was raised up above the railing just as another flash of lightning hit, giving her time to get a look at the ominous black flag that flew above them. An icy shiver ran though her, colder than the ocean she was just pulled from; this wasn't good.

With a harsh thud, Anna landed on the deck and the rope net was pulled from her. She hurriedly shuffled backwards until she felt her back hit the railing, looking through strands of dark wet hair at the group of men that surrounded her. In the dim lighting, she could make out what a few of them were wearing; mostly boots and long coats because of the rain.

One of them, who wore what looked like a red cap, was pushed aside to reveal a man in a long black coat, "Well, well, well, what did we catch, men?"

Anna recognized the voice but couldn't place it in her panic until another strike of lightning glinted off of his hook hand. Relief surged through her veins, "Killian!" She cried, her voice barely audible above the roar of the waves.

The figure knelt down to her, brushing dark wet hair away from her face and taking in her shivering form, "Miss Anna, what are you doing out here in the middle of the sea?" Killian's familiar deep voice calmed her as he helped her to her feet, "Never mind that now, you're freezing." He muttered, before turning to his crew, "This young miss, is my guest!" He proclaimed, much to the dismay of his men.

Her legs were unsure as he led her to a small staircase that took them underneath the main deck and into his grand captain' quarters. He draped a blanket across her shoulders and sat her on the bed, before turning to a huge ornate wardrobe in the corner.

While he busied himself, Anna pulled the blanket closer with a shiver, and looked around the room to distract herself from the sound of her chattering teeth. It wasn't a big room, but it was much bigger than most cabins in ships, she guessed. There was a bed, a few trunks against the wall and a desk covered in papers and navigational tools.

Killian made a sound of triumph as he emerged from the wardrobe with a pair of dry trousers and a shirt. He looked sort of sheepish as he handed them to her, "Sorry, wasn't really expecting a guest, I hope these fit ya."

She smiled at him as she took them, "I'll make do, thanks Killian." He smiled back and then excused himself so she could change in private.

Once the door shut, Anna eagerly peeled herself out of her wet clothes and changed into the set that Killian had given her. The dark trousers were only a little big, nothing a belt couldn't fix, and the deep green poets' shirt fit her almost perfectly. She laid out her wet clothes, so they could dry, and began to hunt around for a belt.

She felt bad for intruding on Killians' things, but she couldn't walk around with her trousers falling down. Anna rummaged through the truck where he'd pulled the pants from and, after a few minutes, she felt the familiar feeling of a cold metal buckled underneath her fingers. She sprang up with a grin as she pulled the belt from its place and began to thread it through her belt loops.

Just as she was about to leave to find Killian, she went to tie her wet hair up and felt her throat bare. Panic seized her heart; her necklace was gone, when had it fallen off?! Was it somewhere at the bottom of the sea?

A flash of light from the ground calmed her racing heart. There it was, glittering in the candlelight underneath the desk. Anna sighed and bent to pick it up, about to clip it back onto her neck, when she noticed something else on the desk.

The paper looked like it was well taken care of, the parchment worn with time and tears from the looks of it. The ink lines looked determined and purposeful, nothing out of place. The soft jaw line, the curve of the eyes, the full darkness of her hair.

Just like Anna remembered.

As carefully as she could, Anna reached out to trace the drawing, meeting only the coldness of the parchment, not the warmth of her mother's face.

She didn't hear a knock when Killian opened the door, a tray of soup and mead balanced on his forearm. She stood, frozen, her eyes stuck on the drawing. She fell heavily into the chair, her eyes never moving, even as the image grew blurry with tears.

The pirate set the tray of food down on the desk and shut the door behind him, "Anna, are you alright?" he asked, his voice soft as he reached out to rest his hand on her shoulder. At the sudden movement, Anna flinched, blinking out of her frozen state.

She rubbed the wetness from her eyes and laughed nervously, "I didn't know you were such an artist, Killian." She said, a fond smile on her face. He looked down, shrugging, "Oh that? It's nothing, just a little sketch." He said, nudging the tray in front of her, "You should eat, it'll help warm you up."

Anna gratefully accepted the bowl from the tray and dug into the warm stew. Killian rubbed at a spot on his hook thoughtfully, "So, what were you doing out in a storm like this so far from home?" he asked, his blue eyes burning a hole through her.

She didn't look up, focusing on the stew in front of her with a shrug, "I have no idea." She said simply, her spoon dragging on the bottom of the bowl. He hummed, running his hand through his hair, shaking off the water, "You just magically ended up in the ocean?" he sounded sarcastic, but sobered a bit when she made no move to correct him.

He whistled, "Didn't take you for a magical type." She smiled at that, absently playing with the end of the spoon, "My papa taught me everything I know about magic." Anna said, looking up at the drawing again, her eyes soft. Killian nodded thoughtfully, "Do you remember how you got out here?" he asked again.

"My papa, I remember talking to him…I think, we were arguing." She furrowed her brow, gnawing on her bottom lip, "Then I was in the middle of the ocean, and I saw you." She gave a little laugh, "Sorry, it's all really blurry."

He rapped her on the back, "Not a problem, love. Just glad you're alright." She laughed and took a sip of the warm mead, making a face at the taste; this made Killian laugh. He gave her a sympathetic look, "It's not for everyone, love. Just thought it would help warm you up, don't want you catching a cold."

She thanked him and finished her food, trying and failing to keep her eyes off of her mother's face. She waited until he was about to leave with the now empty tray, leaving her to get some rest, "You really captured her spirit, I think." Her voice stopped him halfway out the door.

Killian turned to see Anna gently touching the drawing, a fond smile on her face, "From what I remember, anyway. I was really young when she left." She continued, meeting his eye with a leveled stare.

He sighed and set down the tray once more, "I can explain-" he tried before she held up a hand, "Don't worry about it, Killian. I know you didn't…" She stopped, she couldn't bring herself to say it.

The pirate felt himself relax a bit and swallowed around the lump in his throat, "Good, glad you didn't react like your brother did."

Anna jumped from her seat, "You've seen Bae?! Where is he? Is he ok?" She asked, her heart racing.

Killian sighed again, but didn't stop to set down the tray, "I haven't seen him in a few years, he ran off to the island when he saw the portrait." He said evenly, hovering in the doorway for her next inevitable question.

"What island? Can you take me there?" She asked, her hands going to his bicep as she pled with her green eyes that were so much like Milah's.

"No, it's too dangerous. We're setting sail to go back to the enchanted forest before…the storm gets too rough." He said hesitantly, not looking at her as he pulled his arm out of her grasp.

"Please, Killian! I have to find him!" She begged, grabbing for his arm again, but he moved out of her reach, stepping out of the room. His silence was answer enough for her and she felt the warmth bloom out from its place at her neck down to her chest.

She turned back to the bed, feeling her eyes grow wet with frustration, "If you really loved my mother, you would do this for me." She said, a bitter taste in her mouth as she did. The door closed and she felt the warm encompass her figure like a comforting blanket.

Killian leaned against the door in defeat, "No, Annabeth. It's _because_ I loved you mother that I won't take you to that terrible place." He whispered, before making his way to the brig.

Anna lay in bed an hour later, sifting through her vague memories to put the pieces of her broken memory together; flashes of her papa and arguing dancing in her head.

She remembered arguing with about…her mother? And the feeling regret in her chest and on her tongue then a flash of golden light. The fruit! It must've been the fruit that sent her here! She searched her mind for more, but she found only wisps of images that were just out of her reach.

With a sigh, Anna decided that she would sleep and hope that her cloudy mind would clear and she could find a way to this island once she was well rested.

She fell into a fitful sleep, vivid images of a golden tree and a zombified boy chasing her shocked her awake. Anna shot up in a cold sweat, her breathing uneven and heart racing in her chest. She ran a shaking hand through her hair as she tried to calm down. It was still dark out and she was still alone. The room was stuffy and too warm for her, so she slipped out of bed and put on her, now dry, boots and carefully headed up to the deck for some fresh air.

The storm had subsided the sky had cleared up, revealing the bright stars above and the cool ocean breeze felt good as Anna leaned against the railing. The wind blew through her long, dark hair, looking like flowing ink as it cooled her heated skin. She took a deep breath, calming her racing heart and watched the stars above her.

She wondered for a moment if they were the same stars that Bae was looking up at, wherever he was. Maybe he was on that island Killian spoke of, she wondered if it was near where they floated. Her heart ached in her chest at the thought; words couldn't describe how much she missed her brother. Every day since she'd last seen him all those years ago, had been agony and for the first time in a long while, she allowed a few tears to fall down her cheeks for him.

When she looked up again, a shooting star zoomed across the sky and she was quick to make a wish; _I wish I could go to that island and find Bae_ , she prayed, a tight grip on her necklace.

As the tail of the star disappeared, Anna wiped the tears from her face and smiled despite herself; she hadn't wished upon a star since she was much younger. With one last look at the sky, she noticed a bright star just north of where the shooting star was. It shone brighter than any other in the sky as did the smaller one next to it. _Odd_ , she thought, _I've never seen those before_.

"Anna!" Killians' sharp voice interrupted her thought and she turned to see him half way down the steps that led to the upper deck, his blue eyes wild with panic. Before she could ask what was wrong, she was sharply lifted into the air by a strong force.

She screeched Killians' name and tore at grip that held her, the harsh wind deafening her. The arms that held her around her middle were dark and cloudy, almost translucent. It felt cold and when she looked up, she saw bright yellow orbs staring back at her. The being was humanoid but was so dark, it nearly blended into the black sky around them, except for those piercing golden eyes.

The eyes narrowed and Anna felt them shoot forward into the night. With panicked green eyes, she watched the ship grow smaller and smaller in the distance until she couldn't see it anymore. She struggled and screamed in its grip but it only held on stronger, and it only moved faster over the dark ocean.

Eventually, Anna gave up struggling, her panicked heart only quickening at the sight of an island coming up fast ahead of them. She saw the beach, its sand glowing white in the moonlight. She saw the jungle too, its tree tops shining silver. For a moment, she got lost in the beauty of the island; the way the mist caught the moonlight, making the air around them shine with a mystical radiance, filled her with a sense of calm.

Until the shadow dropped her above the tree line.

Wind whipped past her, roaring in her ears, drowning out her screams as the treetops came closer and faster. Her mind whirled before focusing as she willed her magic to teleport to the ground safely in a plume of blue smoke. However, she hit the treetops too soon and smashed headfirst into the branches on the way down, her vision going black.

OoOoO

It was still dark when Anna's eyes blinked open, the quarter moon low in the sky. She sat up, her vison blurring as her stomach lurched, bile filling her mouth. She turned her head and threw up in the brush next to her. Once her stomach was empty and the dry heaves had subsided, she wiped her mouth and tried to calm her now spinning head. Pressing a hand to her forehead, she muttered a few curses as she slowly looked around.

She was sitting in the middle of a grouping of trees, piles of dead leaves around her. The air was heavy and thick; it felt familiar. No, the air felt different here and the trees were the wrong shape. There were heavy looking vines hanging from them like snakes that made a shiver run down Anna's spine.

Once her headache had died down some, she slowly got to her feet, steading herself on a nearby tree. The moss was slick under her fingers, and her grip tightened to keep upright. She took inventory of herself, her mind still fuzzy as she searched it for how she got here.

Flashes of memories clouded her vision, arguing with her father, the golden glow of the fruit, darkness, cold water, the rocking of a ship. She remembered flying through the sky, strange yellow eyes. She shook her head, none of the images formed anything coherent, and dwelling on them only made her headache worse.

A twig snapped to her right and she whipped around, adrenaline kicking in as she conjured a fireball in her hand. The warmth poured down her arms and curled in her chest, and her vision sharpened, golden flecks appearing in her eyes. She peered through the dim moonlight, "Who's there?" the daughter of the Dark One shouted.

A figure walked out of the tree line, his blonde hair glowing in the moonlight, pale hands up in surrender, "Whoa, whoa. I'm not here to hurt you!" His voice was deep and unfamiliar. She peered at him closer, getting a better look at him.

He was tall, but thin, his shoulders swimming in his green tunic top. His face was defined, his cheekbones angular and jaw strong. She would almost call him beautiful, if it weren't for the ugly scar that ripped its way down his face from his right eye to his cheek.

She watched him swallow, his wide eyes staring from her fireball to her and back, "I'm not going to hurt you." He repeated, his voice softer than before as he took the smallest step towards her.

He didn't look like he was much of a threat, but Anna didn't know where she was, and she was scared; cautious, she amended mentally, cautious. She tensed up when he stepped forward, "Stay where you are!" She shouted, "Who are you? Do you know where I am?" her voice was edging on desperate.

The boy stopped, his hands still up, "You're in Neverland, my name is Felix. I'm here to help you."

Her flame went out and her blood ran cold.

Neverland.

How was that possible? Was she dreaming?

Anna's hold on the tree loosened in her shock and she staggered forward weakly. She grew warmer as her headache returned, and her hand flew up to grip her forehead. Her eyes slammed shut as another wave of nausea washed over her and she felt herself tip forward towards the ground.

A pair of strong arms caught her just as her knees began to buckle. Anna's eyes cracked open to see that Felix had rushed to catch her, their eyes meeting; _they're green like Peter's_ , she mused. She felt the back of her neck tingle with electricity as more of the hot energy rushed down her arms to where her hand touched his bare arm. He looked down at her, his face pinched in worry. Or she thought it did; her vision grew dark and fuzzy at the edges before she was over taken by flashes of images.

She saw a group of boys in woodland colors whooping and hollering through a jungle, the sharpening of tools and weapons. She saw treehouses being built and animals cleaned and cooked. And finally a very familiar boy standing before the group, his green eyes piercing through her as he flashed them all a crooked grin.

Anna felt a pull in her gut and the warmth snapped back up her body to it place at the nape of her neck as Felix pushed her back from him, his wide eyes meeting hers,

"What was that?!"

"You know Peter?!"

They spoke over each other, their voices edged with shock and hostility. Felix's emerald eyes angrily met Anna's matching ones, the gold evaporating from them, "What magic did you use on me?" he snapped at her, his voice no long as soft as it was before.

Anna was just about to snap back, when a bigger wave of nausea overcame her, and she turned and threw up in the brush again.

"Felix, I asked you to find my friend and bring her back, not make her sick." A familiar voice spoke up from behind them, though Anna barely heard it.

She felt a cool, gentle hand grasp at her hair, pulling it back for her. Another hand rubbed at her back until her retching was just hallow heaves in her stomach. Anna's chest heaved with every breath and she brought up a hand to wipe at her mouth.

Once she was finished, she leaned heavily on the figure beside her, who handed her a canteen to rinse her mouth out, "Here you are, love." Peter said, his hand rubbing at her back again, while she got rid of the taste on her tongue.

She handed it back and gave him a smile, her vision blurring from fatigue, "Hello, Peter." She said, giving him a lazy smile.

He returned it and brushed the hair from her face, "Hello, Annabeth." His voice echoed as her vision tunneled and eventually grew dark.

* * *

 **Alright! Here we go you guys, we're in it now!**

 **Lemme know what you think about Felix's entrance, thinking about making them romantic or at least friendly.**

 **Sorry for making you all wait so long, I can't promise anything for the next chapter but I'll try to release something before the end of the year? You know school, lots of tests, lots of papers. But there's only a few more weeks left, so we'll see what we can come up with!**

 **Leave a contribution in the little box**

 **Until next time lovelies,**

 **~Shikamaru'sLove**


	9. Lost Girl

**Good morning Lovelies! I know it's been a long wait, but I hope you all enjoy this chapter. It'll be a while before the next one but hopefully not as long as this last wait. Gonna try and aim for a monthly update.**

 **Anyway, hope you all enjoy!**

* * *

"You didn't tell me she was magical." The tone was emotionless, but Peter could hear the irritation in Felix's voice as subtle as it was.

The two were sat near the campfire, the cries of the lost boys quiet as dawn began to break over the treetops. Felix absentmindedly sharpened a few spears, his eyes on Pan as he did. Peter didn't look at him, his eyes trained on the slumbering girl just a few yards from them. Her dark hair spilled out around her, catching the early morning light, creating an eerie halo around her head.

"That wasn't your concern. Now, was it?" He asked, eyeing the boy from the side. Felix didn't flinch at the cold tone, but he didn't react with the anger brewing in his chest. Instead, with a bitterness to his voice he said, "She did something to me, when she touched my arm."

He had Peter's attention now. The boy turned his whole body to face him, his green eyes practically glowing in the dying embers, "Did you see anything?"

OoOoO

The sound of bustling and singing birds floated into Anna's consciousness as her eyes fluttered open. Sunlight filtered in through the tree branches blurrily and she blinked to clear her vision some. Her mind was cloudy and her head throbbed, and she lay there for a moment, gathering her thoughts.

She squinted in the light and turned her head to the side, immediately she saw black dots on the edges of her vision and a sharp electric pain sliced through her head and she slammed her eyes shut, her hands flying up to the back of her head. She let out a small whine and rolled into a fetal position on her side.

"Hey, hey. Easy, Anna, easy." A calming voice said. Deft fingers found the spot she was cradling and gently rubbed over it. She felt the familiar warmth of magic pool on the spot and the sharp pain eased, eventually ebbing away.

Anna's eyes cracked open slowly, her blurry vision eventually clearing and finding Peter's face. He smiled when her eyes focused on his, "You with us, Anna? You hit your head pretty hard when you fell."

She knit her brows, "When I fell?" she asked, searching her fuzzy memory but there wasn't a lot to draw on. "What happened Peter? Where am I?"

Peter sat next to her on the dirt floor and gently brushed her hair from her face, "You're in Neverland, my dear. A friend of mine found you on a pirate ship and brought you here, but you had a little stumble." His words were calming and matter of fact, though something in his eyes didn't sit right with Anna.

She sat up, with Peter's help, and a wave of nausea washed over her. She slammed her eyes shut and fought it back. Something cool brushed her lips and she realized it was a canteen of water. Eagerly, she drank the sweet water, and her stomach settled some.

Once it did, she had a better look around the clearing they were in. There was a big fire pit in the center, its fire only dying embers dancing in the early morning light, surrounded by logs to sit on. Tents of all shapes and sizes and colors were scattered around the perimeter; Anna idly wondered who they were all for. As she nursed the water, the fog over her memory began to clear.

"You've had a lot of magical travel in not a whole lot of time, Anna. You should rest a little more and keep drinking that water. When the boys get back with food, I'll introduce you." Peter's voice was commanding, like he was used to giving orders; that didn't sit well in Anna's already upset stomach.

"The boys?" she asked, drinking more water. He nodded, chuckling some, "My lost boys, the other forgotten children that arrive on Neverland, Anna. Everyone does their part, hunting, cooking, and playing the games." He ruffled her hair once more and stood up, brushing the dirt from his trousers,

"We've never had a lost girl on the island before, so it'll be interesting to see how they react to you." He said over his shoulder as he began to walk away, towards a large tree on the other side of the clearing. A worry pulled at her stomach and she remembered Killian's voice saying that her brother was on an island.

"Wait! Peter!" Anna called, struggling to stand up and step towards him, "Is Bae here?" Peter stopped, but didn't turn towards her, so she continued, "Killian sai-" She was interrupted by distant whooping and hollering in the distance and the sound of crunching branches.

Peter turned then, to face the trees behind Anna, "Ah, the boys are back."

Anna turned around just as a familiar blond stepped into the clearing, just ahead of the pack of wild boys, whooping and shouting and jumping around camp. They waved their spears and fresh kill (rabbits?) as they poured into the clearing around Felix, who walked through them like they weren't even there.

He walked right past her, barely even looking at her as he did, and right up to Peter; he was slightly taller than Peter, Anna noticed. They whispered amongst themselves while she looked around at the wild children as they piled up their fresh meat and began to skin them.

She noticed that, as wild as they seemed, there was an order to their chaos. The boys were loud and messy, but they were each doing something; gathering wooden bowls and utensils or skinning the dead animals or preparing the fire to cook. She also noticed the older boys did all the bigger jobs, skinning and making the fire, while the little ones gathered the pelts and dishes.

"Anna." Peter called from the tree across the camp. He motioned her over, and she made her way over, not missing the disgusted look on the taller boys' face. She felt the heat of her magic flare in her shoulders and her chest as she got closer to the two.

"I know you've already met, but this is Felix, my right hand man. He'll be showing you around the island and the way we do things around here, Anna." Peter said, his tone friendly but left no room for argument.

The heat in Anna's chest flared again and Peter's eyes snapped to her, his gaze burning like acid, "I expect that you _both_ behave yourselves." He said evenly, his eyes moving from Anna to Felix. The heat retracted back to Anna's shoulders, shaken.

Felix nodded, "Come on," he said to her, his shoulder knocking into hers as he pushed passed her. She glared at his back before turning to Peter; she still had so many questions about where she was, where Baelfire was. But when she turned around, Peter was gone.

"Come on, _Lost Girl_." Felix called from the edge of the clearing. Anna growled to herself before turning on her heel and rushing off to where Felix waited.

Peter watched them go from the tree house, feeling the aura of magic begin to dissipate. He'd have to do something about that.

OoOoO

Anna and Felix trudged through the undergrowth and brush of the jungle in silence and it was eating away at Anna's nerves.

She glared at the back of his head, and then at the heavy club he carried over his shoulder. She wondered what it was needed for if he was just showing her around, was there anything they needed to worry about out here in the jungle?

She cleared her throat, "So," She said, trying to break the irritating silence, "Where are we going?"

He said nothing, just kept walking, his eyes glued ahead.

Irked, but not undeterred, Anna tried again, "What's the club for?" Still she got nothing.

She huffed, "I liked you better when you were nicer to me." She remarked and she saw his shoulders go ridged.

Suddenly, he stopped and turned towards her, his green eyes hard and unreadable.

Then she was pinned against a nearby tree, his arm against her throat. He glared at her, his lips twisted in a snarl, "You may have Pan fooled, Witch. But I'm _not_ your friend, I've seen what you are and I don't trust you."

Anna grit her teeth and she felt the warmth come up over her shoulders as anger began to blaze in her stomach. But somewhere in the back of her mind, she felt something purr in sadistic pleasure. She glared right back as her hand found the handle to her dagger in her belt, pressing the blade into his side,

"I don't exactly trust you either, _Felix_." She hissed, her eyes flashing gold for a moment, "But I'm not here to make friends with you. So, you can either let me go. Or we can see how well you do with my knife in your stomach." She growled, pressing a bit harder to make her point.

His breath hitched, and for a moment, Felix pressed his arm harder into her throat, cutting off her airway. But she didn't betray anything, just kept her blazed eyes level with his, daring him to do his worst.

He released her but didn't move away from her. Her eyes traced the ugly scar that ripped its way across his face before resting on his angry green eyes. He studied her for another moment before pushing off of the tree and continuing on the path.

Anna took a deep breath, willing the heat to go back to its place at her neck, remembering what Peter said, _"Your magic is easily influenced by your emotions, stay calm"_. With that in mind, she sheathed her dagger but kept it close to her just in case Felix decided to attack her again.

He showed her the river where they get their water and most of the rabbit traps that the boys used to hunt and then they headed back towards camp. There wasn't another incident, but there was an uneasy tension between the two as they walked back, making Anna's stomach twist.

As they emerged from the tree line into the camp, Felix immediately headed for the treehouse across the clearing, leaving Anna standing at the edge of the camp. She watched as the boys rushed around finishing breakfast. She watched one small one in particular that looked familiar, his scruffy brown hair and big brown eyes pulling on a thread in her fuzzy memory.

 _The boy from the market!_ She thought in instant realization, studying him more intently. His brown hair was still matted and dirt was still smeared on his face, but he looked happier; there wasn't that glimmer of sadness in his eyes that she'd seen that day on the pier.

He was chasing another boy past her when he tripped on a gnarled tree root and tumbled to the ground. Before he could start wailing, Anna knelt down and helped him up, dusting the dirt from his tunic and trousers. His face was pinched up and she saw tears prick at the corners of his eyes.

She checked his face and arms for bruises but didn't find any, "There we go. I think you'll live, just gotta be more careful, is all. No need for these." She murmured soothingly, rubbing at the tears that fell down his cheeks. Big brown eyes looked up at her, confusion coloring them, as if wondering why she was helping him.

She smiled at him gently, her hand resting on his cheek. Warmth flooded down her shoulders and into her hands where they met the boys' face. A golden sheen enveloped the two as black spots appeared at the edge of her vision and she was pulled into a scene.

Anna saw flashes of small hands in front of her and a woman's smiling face, bringing warmth to her chest. Flash. She saw larger hands rushing towards her face and a sting in her cheek. Flash. She saw herself that day at the market, hand extending the apple, bringing more warmth to her chest.

Flash.

Peter stood in front of her, offering his hand to her. It glowed with a similar golden magic to her own and her small hand took it. Then, the two of them lifted from the ground and into the sky, her chest growing warmer and warmer.

Her stomach dropped as she snapped back into her own mind, her eyes staring straight into the boys' big brown ones. Surprisingly, he didn't look scared at all as her hand fell from his cheek, the heat retreating back to her own hand, pulsing gently. The hustle and bustle of the camp continued undeterred of the happenings between the two.

Breathing a sigh of relief, Anna gave him a sweet smile as his eyes seemed to refocus on her, "You're the lady from the market!" he exclaimed, flinging himself into her chest in a bear hug.

She hugged him back, feeling an odd protectiveness in her chest, her mind kept replaying what she saw over and over. The boy let go and gave her a giant grin, "I'm Toby! What's your name?" he asked, holding out his hand to shake.

Carefully, Anna took it, willing the magic to behave, and shook it, "Annabeth, but you can call me Anna. It's very nice to meet you, Toby." She said, releasing his small hand. He said how nice it was to meet her as well and then ran off towards the fire.

She watched him go, thankful that no one seemed to notice the exchange as she stood, brushing the dirt from her trousers. She looked down at her hands, watching the magic pulse gold before retreating up her arms; she'd have to do something about that.

"Anna! Come, let me introduce you to the boys." Peter's voice called from across the camp, making all the boys freeze in place, turning to stare at her.

Silence fell over the camp, save for the crackling of the fire. Anna walked over to where Peter waited at the base of the treehouse, flashing her a crooked grin. She couldn't stop the shiver that ran down her spine and the unease that bloomed in her stomach as she met his blazing green eyes.

As she drew closer, she tried to keep that same easy confidence that she used during her meeting with Regina, her head held high and her chest out, but it felt false to her.

The boys gathered around where Peter stood and parted as she came forward to stand beside him. Anna's eyes drifted over the small crowd of twenty or so boys of all ages, their faces dirty but eyes wide, eager to listen to Peter, who cleared his throat,

"Now, boys, I'm sure you've noticed by now, but I'd like to introduce you to Annabeth, Neverland's first Lost Girl!" He declared with sweeping arms and the boys cheered and hooted and hollered.

Or most of them did.

Felix stood at the edge of the clearing, leaning against the tree with his arms crossed. His green eyes glaring at her over the fire between them.

Since she'd gotten there, Anna had been confused. She barely had a grasp on where she was or what had happened over the past few days, this new magic was unpredictable and the sudden changes in Peter made her uneasy.

But in that moment, glaring back into Felix's eyes from across the clearing, hot rage brewing in her stomach, everything seemed clear.

Anna was in way over her head and could trust no one on this island.

"Now, let's eat!" Peter shouted over the cheers and the crowd dispersed, moving to crowd around the pot on the fire. Anna hurried to catch up with him before he could leave the clearing, intent on having her question answered.

"Peter, wait!" She called and he stopped, turning towards her. She could see the irritation coloring his green eyes and couldn't help the shame that rolled through her stomach like a stone.

"Yes, Anna?" he asked, his voice tight.

"Is my brother here?" She asked, noting how the muscle in his cheek jumped, "Killian said that he'd be here, on the island!"

For a moment, Peter remained silent and the warmth grew in Anna's chest. She felt the urge to touch his arm and let the magic show her what he was thinking. Her hand began to reach out and he seemed to know what she was doing, because he grabbed her arm to stop it, careful not to touch her skin.

He sighed, "I wouldn't ever take the word of a pirate, Anna. They're notorious liars and I never lie." He released her arm, "Baelfire is not here. I don't know where he is."

The warmth in her chest grew hot as frustration burned through her. Peter's eyes snapped to hers, a fire of his own burning in them, "Let's speak privately, shall we?" He said, grabbing her clothed arm again.

Her stomach dropped as the two of them disappeared into green smoke, before reappearing in a wooden room. It looked like a simple bedroom, a small bed against one wall and a dresser and mirror against another.

Peter let go of her arm and Anna moved away from him, "You said you'd help me find Bae, Peter!" She spat, anger coloring her words, the fire still burning in her chest.

The boy stood a few paces from her, but his fire was lost. He looked tired, his confidant and arrogant façade gone. He sat on the edge of the bed, running a hand through his hair, "I told you, I never lie, Anna. I'll help you find your brother, but you need to help me first."

Concern bloomed through the fire in her chest and she knelt down in front of him, "What's wrong Peter? Are you sick?" She asked, her voice soft.

He looked down at her with an unreadable gaze, his green eyes were dulled and she noticed for the first time the dark circles under them. She went to cup his cheek, much like she had with Toby earlier, but Peter flinched,

"Don't." He said, and she put her hand back down, resting it in her lap. He sighed, "Neverland is dying, Anna. I'm dying."

OoOoO

He wasn't lying. Not really anyway. Peter Pan never lies.

Peter watched Anna's green eyes go wide and tears began to fill them with sadistic glee. From what Felix had told him, she was getting more aggressive and her magic was beginning to grow stronger from what Peter could tell; she needed to be controlled.

He was still unsure of the extent of her newfound magic touch, as it were. He was very careful not to touch her skin, afraid of what she would see. It was something he would have to experiment with to test the range of her power.

Taking a risk, Peter cupped her cheek and wiped her tears. Nothing happened. This was good. She looked up at him, green eyes bright and red rimmed, "Hey, Anna. There's no need for that." He murmured soothingly.

Anna's brows furrowed and she sniffled, "How can you say that, Peter? You're my friend, you were there for me when no one else was! I can't lose you too!" She sobbed, burying her face into his chest as he wrapped his arms around her.

He shushed her and smoothed out her dark hair, a wicked smirk on his lips, the warmth of her belief filling him.

"And I'll continue to be here for you, Anna. With your new magic, you can help heal me." Peter said, and she lifted her head to look at him, questions in her gaze.

He smiled understandingly, "You said you can see into people's minds with a touch, like you did with young Toby not long ago."

She flushed a little, "I didn't think anyone saw that." She muttered, "I can't control it, but it seems to take a lot of my magic, and it seems picky." Anna pressed her hand to Peter's cheek and he let her.

Nothing happened.

She looked disappointed, "See? It feels random." She said, letting her hand fall from his face to wipe at her own.

Peter released a breath he hadn't realized he was holding and chuckled, "Well that's nothing a little practice can't fix, Anna. I need your magic to help me find someone, and that will help me find your brother."

Anna looked up, her eyes flickering gold before fading back to her normal green, "You mean it, Peter?" She asked, a ghost of a smile on her lips. He could feel her magic surge as her excitement grew.

Peter nodded and smiled, "Of course Anna, I did make a promise."

With the magic on the island fading, so was his own. He needed to find the Believer and soon. Anna was an essential part of his plan, she needed to trust him.

He needed her to believe in him.

* * *

 **Hope you all enjoyed it! Lemme know what you think!**

 **Until next time lovelies,**

 **~Shikamaru'sLove**


	10. Curiouser and Curiouser

**Hello All!**

 **I am not dead! Sorry for the wait, school just got busy and I had bad writer's block this summer but fear not! Chapter 10 is here!**

 **I hope you all enjoy!**

* * *

Anna sat on a rock next to the river, braiding her hair absently, her mind hard at work mapping the island. After their little meeting, Peter had given her free reign of the island to search for any sign her brother might have left behind. He'd allowed her this freedom so long as she didn't go near Dark Hollow, or Skull Rock, which was across the channel, since the two places were "too dangerous", he said.

Anna had resisted the urge to roll her eyes at the warning; she was a powerful sorceress and the daughter of the Dark One, she was more than capable of defending herself.

But she agreed to his terms, she wasn't about to lose this chance to search for her brother because of her ego.

However, the last few hours had been uneventful to say the least, no sign of where her brother had been. She knew if Baelfire had been on this island, he would've set up a nest of some sort, and unless he had packed it all up when he left, there had to be some evidence left of it; maybe even some sign of where he had gone.

She looked ahead into the dark jungle ahead of her, the warm air sticking to her skin as she stood up; she supposed she should be getting back to camp. She stretched and began walking in the direction of where she thought camp was.

As she did, a shadow darted around in the corner of her eye. She turned around but saw no one, only a small glimmer in the moonlight. She almost shrugged it off as her tired eyes playing tricks on her but the hairs on the back of her neck stood on end as she scanned the dark jungle across the river. A twig snapped and she saw the brush rustle in the distance. Piquing her curiosity, Anna hopped across the stones in the river to follow it.

She pushed through the undergrowth and tree limbs, another glimmer catching her eye in the moonlight. The heat at her neck flowed gently down her arms as she squinted at it, the trail becoming clearer as she did. Anna recognized the golden sparks as fairy dust, _Odd_ , she thought, _I didn't think there_ were _fairies on the Neverland_. But she shook her head with a shrug and continued to follow the faint trail.

Anna pushed through the undergrowth of the jungle, her eyes glued to the dying fairy dust trail, weary of the feeling of foreboding in her gut. She almost didn't notice the trip rope in front of her as her foot struck it, sending her barreling out of the way as a net snapped up the leaves before her. She landed against a tree, trying to regain the breath that was knocked out of her.

Golden flecks appeared in her eyes as the heat grew warmer and flooded her body, sensing the danger. Her eyes searched frantically for the lost boy responsible for the trap, her hand drawing her blade from her belt as she did. A crunch of leaves made her turn, the tall form of Felix entering her vision, his club casually slung over his shoulder as he shot her a crooked grin.

"What's the matter _Witch_ , scared?" he sneered, stalking towards her. She glared and made to get up but he moved too fast and kicked her back to the ground, "I don't know what Pan sees in you, seem like just a weak little girl to me." He lifted his club above his head but Anna rolled from beneath him, fire blazing in her veins as swiped at him with her dagger, drawing blood on the exposed skin of his leg.

He howled in pain and swung his club at her with a growl. She dodged it and scrambled to her feet to gain some type of ground between her and Felix. She didn't know why he was suddenly attacking her, since their first encounter he'd kept his distance, preferring to glare at her from across the camp. She stared at him wide eyed, the heat pounding in her chest in time with her racing heart.

Felix stumbled forward to swing at her with the club once more but she turned out of the way, letting him hit the tree behind her as she did the only thing she could think of and touched his arm, allowing the golden magic to flow from her and into him. Before he could shout at her or push her away, the two were covered in the golden sheen and the shadows overtook Anna's vison as she was swept away.

She saw Peter standing in front of a mirror, his back to her and his arms folded behind him. He was talking to her but she couldn't make out what he was saying, it sounded garbled and far away. The image before her wavered and she began to lose her hold on Felix's memories. In her panic, she heard another voice clear as a bell, not Peter's but an oddly familiar one, " _Focus! Breathe, center yourself._ "

She couldn't place the voice but it gave her a sense of calm and she shut her eyes and focused on herself rather than the vision before her. A shiver rippled through her and she was watching Peter and Felix talk in front of the mirror. It was a jarring shift from the first person perspective but she found she liked this a lot better.

The vision grew sharper and so did their voices, "I have a job for you boys, Felix." Peter said before turning back to the mirror and watching something in it. Felix took his leave, walking through her non-corporal form. She watched as Peter ran a hand over the mirror, the surface rippling with his movement, revealing a familiar looking room with a spinning wheel.

Just before she could get a closer look, the vison faded and was lost before flashing to another.

Anna watched Peter and herself disappear into a puff of green smoke, a feeling of disgust and hot anger blooming in her chest but it wasn't hers. She looked over to see Felix seething as he watched the pair disappear. She didn't understand his animosity, but it was a strong and violent feeling. She didn't like how dark it made her feel; she didn't like the dark craving it left behind. She didn't like that she kind of liked it.

The dark rage boiled in him, too dark for a boy his age; she wished she could calm him somehow. The heat tugged at her and the scene before her faded and she was brought back to the present.

Her vision cleared and she was back in the jungle, her hand latched onto Felix's arm, his eyes still glazed over and golden. She gently helped him to the ground, her hand not leaving his skin, curious to see what would happen.

She'd never been that in control before and it was the first time she was gently released from the vision. The heat purred in her chest and she realized she didn't feel the dizziness or exhaustion that she had felt before.

Anna released her hold on Felix's arm and began to step away, slowly, not wanting to be anywhere near him when he broke out of the trance; especially when he felt such anger towards her.

Another twig broke behind her and she whipped around, knife drawn and ready for whatever lost boy came to attack her next.

Instead, a small figure stood in front of her, a knife of their own glinting in the dim moonlight. They wore a brown cloak with green pants and Anna saw strands of blonde hair poking out underneath. In the low light, she could barely make out their features but a small nose and pointed face stood out, as did wide green eyes. They weren't going to attack Anna, unless she attacked first, of course. But Anna noticed that they weren't really looking at her, they were looking past her to the unconscious Felix. The figure looked like a deer cornered by a hunter, ready to run at the first movement.

For a while, neither of them said anything but eventually, Anna held up her hands and put her knife away slowly. She stepped forwards carefully, not wanting to scare them. The figure looked at her then, tilting its' head oddly. A groan from behind her, startled them and Anna's head snapped back to see Felix stirring, groaning and holding his head.

She didn't have to turn around to know that the rustling behind her meant that the mysterious figure was gone. Fear over-road her initial disappointment at the sound of Felix awakening and she waved a hand, disappearing in a plume of blue smoke.

She appeared just a few yards from the camp and walked the rest of the way, careful not to show the boys that she had magic; Peter had made it clear that the boys were not to know about her powers.

He'd also made it clear that Felix and herself were to behave around each other, not that they'd listened. Anna wasn't sure how Peter was going to react and decided not to tell him about the encounter; afraid that she'd lose her exploration privileges.

When she arrived back at camp, she leaned against a tree just outside the clearing, watching Peter weave elaborate stories for the boys. His hands created shadows in the firelight as his words captivated the children. This was very much the Peter she remembered from when she was younger, the kindhearted boy who would tell her stories whenever she was upset about something.

As she watched the scene before her, Anna wondered why he was so different with her now than he used to be. He was still kind to her, but there was an edge to him now; something darker was there. She remembered their conversation earlier that day about how Neverland and himself were dying and how her magic was supposed to help him. She supposed if she was sick and dying, she'd be on edge too. She wondered how long it would take for him to recover; how long would she have to help him for? Weeks? Month? _Years_?

But she couldn't shake the feeling of foreboding her in stomach at the thought of staying on the island longer than she needed to. She needed to find Bae.

Once Peter was finished telling his story, Anna wandered over to the fire as the boys dispersed to go to their tents for the night. There was no bedtime on Neverland, but Anna assumed it was routine for the children. She sat down on the ground, leaning her back against the log seat a few feet away from him just watching the embers break away from the wood at the bottom. She took a deep breath, the smoky smell of the fire calming her somehow.

Peter walked over to her and sat on the log behind her, undoing her messy braid and running his fingers through her silky hair. She didn't mind, it reminded her of how they used to be when he visited in her dreams. She relaxed against his leg and he played with her hair, neither of them speaking, just enjoying the silence.

After a few moments, Peter said, "Your braid is usually so neat, don't know what you could've done to make it so messy." It was as casual as talking about the weather, but his fingers gripped her hair tighter, working it into a tight braid. Anna stiffened, her breath grew faster and her heartbeat quickened in her panic. Sensing this, the heat gently flooded out from her chest to comfort her. She swallowed and stared at the fire, "I tripped on a rabbit snare and fell, must've caught on something and loosened."

Peter didn't acknowledge her response as he cleared his throat. She felt the heat shrink back slightly at the sound, "Felt you teleport just outside of camp, where were you coming from in such a hurry?" He was toying with her and she knew it. His fingers pulled through a knot and she winced, "Just wanted to make it back in time to hear your stories, Peter." Her answer seemed to satisfy him and he went silent once more, weaving her long hair into its braid.

A few moments later, he spoke again, "Haven't seen Felix since just before nightfall." He said simply, but the edge was back. "Have you seen him, Annabeth?" he asked, the fingers in her hair pulling and tugging firmly. Anna licked her lips and took a deep breath, "He must've gone out to check the traps." She said just as simply, trying to maintain the same amount of nonchalance in her voice.

He finished braiding her hair and tied it off at the bottom, "There, nice and neat as it should be." There was that edge again. Peter patted her shoulders firmly, his hand squeezing as he leaned in to whisper in her ear, "I don't like liars, Annabeth." She shivered, the heat retreating back to her chest, leaving her cold despite the fire and warm jungle air.

Anna shut her eyes and summoned her strength, "I would never lie to you, Peter." She said, her voice coming out stronger than she felt. She wasn't lying, but she wasn't telling the full truth either.

Peter Pan knew this.

But that was part of the game.

Peter sighed and released his grip on her, "Of course you wouldn't, Anna." He laughed, his tone light once more but she couldn't bring herself to laugh with him, instead released the breath she didn't know she was holding. She turned to look up at him, his green eyes twinkling with mischief. He smiled down at her and tucked a strand of hair behind her ear.

Anna felt herself flush at his closeness and Peter opened his mouth to say something but suddenly furrowed his brows and stepping away from her, looking towards the edge of camp. Anna took a deep breath and tried to calm herself.

She was losing this game.

It was the smallest sound at first and she tried to focus on it, curious to find out what it was. It was a familiar sound and after a moment or two, it grew louder and Anna looked towards the edge of camp to where the lost boys were sleeping.

It sounded like crying.

Peter looked down at her and silently held out a hand to her. He didn't say anything and his eyes betrayed nothing, but she didn't feel any darkness from him. She took his hand, willing the heat to behave itself. No visons, no images. With a somber smile, Peter helped her up from the ground and they walked to the tents.

He stopped outside of one of the tents, lifting the flap for her to see inside. She saw little Toby sprawled out over his covers, his face scrunched up in sorrow, soft sobs coming from him. Anna looked back up at Peter, her green eyes concerned. He motioned her off to the side with a tilt of his head.

Once they were far enough away from the boys, Peter turned to her, "I need you to help them, Anna." The girl tilted her head confused, "It's probably just a bad dream, Peter. Children get those sometimes, especially the younger ones." She said, biting her lip.

She knew it wasn't nightmares. One boy could have a nightmare, maybe two or three but, as Anna looked over the group of tents, she noticed that Toby wasn't the only boy crying; it sounded like they all were.

"Listen." He said, his voice firm but patient. She shut her eyes and listened; she could make out some mumbling underneath the sobs. It sounded like they were calling for someone. Anna's eyes snapped open.

Their parents.

Calls of "Mama" and "Papa" filled the once quiet night air and sent Anna's heart racing and her mind reeling.

Peter met her eyes as she connected the pieces, watching as her brows furrowed, "They're calling for their parents, they want to go home." She said slowly. He nodded, "They do every night, especially the newer boys. They get incredibly homesick." She thought she heard a note of annoyance in his voice.

"Why not let them go home, Peter?" She asked, remembering what it was like to sob for her mother when she was younger. There had to be a way for these children to be returned to their families, right?

Peter's eyes flashed, "These boys were abandoned by their families, left unloved and lost. Why return them to homes that don't want them? That's just cruel, Anna." He said, his voice smooth like velvet, but there was a fire underneath.

She supposed that made sense, only children who felt unloved and lost could stay here after all. They were safer here, loved here.

As wary as she was of the island and Peter, she couldn't let these innocent children suffer.

Anna looked at the crying boys and then back at Peter, "What can I do to help?"

OoOoO

She sat cross-legged next to Toby, Peter on the other side of the sniffling boy. Anna took a few deep breaths, trying to calm herself and coax the heat out from its' spot at her neck. Peter smiled at her encouragingly, "Just calm him, remind him of why he's here." He said.

Anna nodded and smiled back before gently brushing the hair from Toby's sweaty forehead and allowing the golden magic to flow down her arms. Her vision faded to black and she was taken away.

She was back on the pier, watching herself walk away, side by side with Killian. Her heart panged in her chest at the sight of the pirate but she looked away, reminding herself to focus. She felt a ripple and she was looking down at Toby as he ran from the docks.

She followed him through the bustling marketplace and towards the forest, frowning when he stopped at a small shack just at the edge. A woman came out and warmth bloomed in Anna's chest- Toby's chest as he was called inside for supper.

Behind the small shack, dark plumes of smoke polluted the sky- no not smoke, Anna looked closer- storm clouds. Thunder rolled and lightning cracked as the dark clouds engulfed the wide field. A wave of fear ran though her as she saw a shadowy figure in the distance, as though leading the charge of the storm that was rolling through.

The creature had bright yellow eyes and its hulking figure stalked forwards towards the small boy. Toby stood in front of it and looked up into its burning eyes, trembling. She could feel his fear coursing through her veins like ice as the creature extended its' hand-

A sudden wave of energy rippled through her and heat flooded down her arms as she extended a glowing hand of her own towards them. She called out to the boy. The creature shrieked when it saw her and disappeared in a dark cloud.

Toby turned towards her, relief and excitement blooming in his chest and her own as he recognized her, "Anna!" he ran towards her and grasped her hand tightly. The world around them faded away, replaced with the familiar jungle.

Anna squeezed his hand, "You're safe here, you know that don't you, Toby?" He looked up at her with wide brown eyes, "But I'm scared the shadow man will come back."

Her face softened and she gently brush a brown curl behind his ear, "As long as I'm here, no shadow man will hurt you." She said with a smile and he held out a pinky, looking very serious, "Pinky promise." Anna held up her own and hooked it with his, "Cross my heart." She said, tracing an X on her chest, sealing the promise.

An energy rippled through her as the scene before her faded away and her eyes fluttered open. Peter held her shoulders as her eyes focused. The outline of his face was fuzzy and she had to shut her eyes to calm the dizziness.

"You did it, Anna!" Peter exclaimed. Her eyes opened and she smiled at the blurry form of the peaceful child before her eyes fluttered shut and she fell into darkness.

* * *

 **Lemme know what you guys think! Hopefully next chapter should be out around the holidays!**

 **Until Next Time Lovelies,**

 **~Shikamaru'sLove**


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